Natural antierythrocytic antibodies may be stimulated by bacterial antigens
and the immune type may occur as a result of pregnancy or blood transfusio
ns. The prevalence increases with the number of red cell units transfused S
pecificity. on the other hand, depends on ethnical backgrounds. The clinica
l importance of these antibodies is to precipitate hemolytic transfusion re
actions and erythroblastosis fetalis. Hemodialysis patients are multitransf
used and have a quire variable prevalence of antibodies. Kidney transplant
patients with blood group identity do not form antibodies. We studied the p
resence of both types of antierythrocytic antibodies (natural and immune) i
n hemodialysis and kidney transplant patients in Brazilian blood transfusio
n and nephrology services.