Low rate of Rhesus immunization from Rh-incompatible blood transfusions during liver and heart transplant surgery

Transplantation
G RamseyT E Starzl

Abstract

Transfusion of one unit or more of Rh-positive red blood cells normally causes circulating anti-D antibody to appear 2-6 months later in 80-95% of Rh- persons. We asked whether transplant immunosuppression with cyclosporine and corticosteroids affects Rh immunization. Nineteen Rh- liver, heart, and heart-lung transplant recipients received 3-153 (median: 10) units of Rh+ RBCs at surgery and were tested for anti-D greater than 2 months later. Three patients developed anti-D at 11-15 days; one may have had an unusually rapid primary immune response and two were secondary to previous exposure by pregnancy. None of the other 16 patients had anti-D when tested 2.5-51 months later (13 patients, greater than 11.5 months). This low rate of Rhesus immunization in association with cyclosporine immunosuppression allows greater flexibility in meeting the transfusion needs of Rh- liver and heart transplant patients. Caution is still advised in young females and in patients who may have been previously exposed to Rh+ RBCs by transfusion or by pregnancy prior to the availability of perinatal Rh immune globulin twenty years ago. Other humoral immune responses to some vaccines or infectious agents may also be impaired in transplant patients.

References

Jun 1, 1989·Transfusion·G RamseyT E Starzl
May 1, 1987·Transfusion·J H LewisT E Starzl
Mar 1, 1988·Transfusion·G Ramsey, P Larson
Apr 29, 1971·The New England Journal of Medicine·D Goldfinger, M H McGinniss

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Citations

Apr 25, 2000·Transfusion·W A FlegelF F Wagner
Aug 24, 2007·Transplantation·Sherry ShariatmadarAndreas G Tzakis
Dec 10, 2013·Bone Marrow Transplantation·G S BoothB N Savani
Jun 15, 2014·Transfusion Medicine Reviews·Jeanne E HendricksonBeth H Shaz
Nov 20, 2012·Transfusion clinique et biologique : journal de la Société française de transfusion sanguine·S DuboeufO Garraud
Apr 22, 2008·Transfusion·Jose R Gonzalez-PorrasMercedes Corral
Jun 21, 2013·Transfusion·Saurabh ZalpuriJaap Jan Zwaginga
Oct 6, 2014·Transfusion clinique et biologique : journal de la Société française de transfusion sanguine·H Chambost
Oct 12, 2017·Transplantation·Rishi BoliaWinita Hardikar
Feb 1, 2003·Transfusion·Fouad N BoctorJoan Uehlinger
Jun 22, 2018·Transfusion Medicine and Hemotherapy : Offizielles Organ Der Deutschen Gesellschaft Fur̈ Transfusionsmedizin Und Immunham̈atologie·Sabine FlommersfeldUlrich J Sachs
Dec 10, 2014·Transfusion Medicine·M KarakantzaM Rowley
Oct 14, 2020·American Journal of Transplantation : Official Journal of the American Society of Transplantation and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons·Chris J CallaghanChristopher J E Watson

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