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. 1990 Sep-Oct;63(5):429–433.

Transfusion-induced immunomodulation and its possible role in cancer recurrence and perioperative bacterial infection.

N Blumberg 1, J M Heal 1
PMCID: PMC2589357  PMID: 2293502

Abstract

Over the last decade, it has become evident that homologous transfusions carry immunologic consequences beyond the well-understood ones of alloimmunization to blood cell antigens. Transfusions constitute temporary transplants of large amounts of allogeneic antigen given intravenously and cause down-regulation of many cellular immune functions. These changes may explain in part the association of transfusion with such clinically important events as (1) improved survival of renal allografts, (2) decreased recurrence rates for autoimmune disease, (3) increased frequency and earlier recurrences of solid tumors, (4) increased frequency of post-operative bacterial infection, and (5) increased severity of viral infection. Preliminary data suggest that, in animal models and clinical settings, syngeneic or autologous transfusions are not associated with such events. This finding supports the hypothesis that these associations are cause and effect and involve immunologic mechanisms.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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