Blood Transfusion as Regulator of the Immune Response

Abstract

Immunologically mediated transfusion reactions have always been an important part of transfusion medicine. An additional use for blood transfusions has been investigated for several years now. Blood transfusions were previously predominantly regarded as a ‘substrate’ for immunologically mediated transfusion reactions, like in hemolytic transfusion reactions, or as a substrate for future immunologically mediated transfusion reactions, like in alloimmunization. Following the reports on the ‘blood transfusion effect’ on allograft survival, a new role for blood transfusions as immunomodulator or immunosuppressor has been discovered. Different aspects of the immunoregulatory effects of blood transfusions will be discussed.

Improving red cell transfusion in the elective surgical setting: an improvement collaborative with evaluation

“…The appropriate use of red blood cell (RBC) transfusion is important for health systems due to: patient safety concerns [1]; diminishing supplies of RBCs [2]; and emerging evidence on the immuno suppressive effects of transfusion [3], which can lead to an increase in wound infection particularly in a postoperative setting [4,5]. A number of serious concerns have been raised about the risk/benefit of RBC autologous transfusions [6].…”

The Concept of Compatibility: Towards a Functional Understanding of Immunohematology

“…The series of reviews presented here closes with an update on concepts developed to understand the role of blood transfusion as an active regulator of the immune response, and with a manuscript highlighting the potential of the methodological approach of proteomics in the detection and avoidance of adverse drug reactions -a topic with direct relevance to the field of immune regulation induced by blood transfusions: Leo M.G. van de Watering, The Netherlands, discusses different aspects of the immunoregulatory effects of blood transfusions in the light of our current understanding of immune responses [14]. Marc R. Wilkins, Australia, explores recent advances in proteomic technology and how this technology has been applied to the understanding of dose-related, non-doserelated, time-related and withdrawal-based adverse drug reactions [15].…”