Clinical Efficacy of Phase Leukocyte Reduction Filters in High-risk Patients (3)
When successful, human leukocyte reduction filters antigen matched bone marrow transplantation with reduced-intensity conditioning is a cure for several nonmalignant hematologic disorders that require chronic transfusion, such as sickle cell disease and aplastic anemia. However, there are unusually high bone marrow transplant rejection rates in these patients. Rejection correlates with the number of transfusions before bone marrow transplantation, and it has been hypothesized that preimmunization to antigens on transfused blood may prime rejection. Using a novel mouse model of red blood cell transfusion and major histocompatibility complex-matched bone marrow transplantation, we report that transfusion of products induced rejection across minor histocompatibility antigen barriers.
