Red cell antibodies in frequently transfused patients with myelodysplasticsyndrome

Therapy for myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) is often restricted to lifelong support with red blood cell units (RBCU). A variety of immune phenomena ass ociated with antibody production have been reported in MDS patients. Theref ore, we hypothesized that red cell antibodies are more frequent in patients with MDS compared to other regularly transfused patients. Red cell antibod ies were determined in 42 MDS patients, in 28 patients with other hematolog ical disorders, and in a historical group of 129 patients with end-stage re nal failure. All of these patients received frequent red cell substitution therapy, at least two RBCU in biweekly intervals. Red cell antibodies were detected in 9 of 32 patients with MDS, in 3 of 28 patients with other hemat ological disorders, and in 4 of 129 patients with end-stage renal failure. Evidence of red cell antibodies was displayed by 6 of 27 MDS patients treat ed with prestorage leukocyte-depleted RBCU and 3 of 15 MDS patients transfu sed with bedside leukocyte-filtered RBCU. Red cell antibodies are frequent in patients with hematological disorders who require repetitive red cell tr ansfusions. The formation of alloantibodies to red cell antigens is as freq uent in MDS patients as in other patients with hematological disorders.