None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
Chronically transfused patients receive multiple units of blood products over the course of their treatment. Multiple red blood cell (RBC) unit transfusions may lead to adverse transfusion related outcomes including the production of antibodies directed against RBC surface markers (antigens), haemolytic diseases and potential long-term donor cell survival, which is termed ‘microchimerism’. The phenomenon of microchimerism has been documented between a mother and her fetus during pregnancy or as a result of twin-to-twin transfer in utero. However, microchimerism could also occur following organ transplantation and blood transfusion. Transfusion-associated microchimerism (TAM) is hypothesised to result from the presence of donor leucocytes present within a RBC unit. Research from the Blood Service Research & Development Team in Australia and from the Blood Systems Research Institute in the US has shown that long-term surviving donor leucocytes have been detected in up to 10% of transfused trauma patients following blood transfusion. However, it is currently unknown whether chronically transfused Australian patients could also be vulnerable to microchimerism. Therefore, chronic RBC transfusion recipients will be investigated for the incidence of microchimerism.
Interventions
This is a pilot observational study. Haematology patients who require chronic blood transfusion will be recruited (preferably transfusion naive when they are recruited). A research sample for testing will be collected at each time point during their current standard of care sample collections. The timepoints will be patient dependent, some patients could have weekly samples taken others every 2-3 months. The blood sample will be 3mL (1 teaspoon) in volume and will be taken prior to each bloo
This is a pilot observational study. Haematology patients who require chronic blood transfusion will be recruited (preferably transfusion naive when they are recruited). A research sample for testing will be collected at each time point during their current standard of care sample collections. The timepoints will be patient dependent, some patients could have weekly samples taken others every 2-3 months. The blood sample will be 3mL (1 teaspoon) in volume and will be taken prior to each blood transfusion and will be taken at the same time as other standard of care samples. This means that up to, but not limited to, 10 samples will be collected over the recruitment period of 4 years. No interventions will be applied the sample will be collected for research testing only.
Sponsors
Australian Red Cross Blood Service
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
18 Years to 80 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
Male and female patients 18-80 years of age. Patients with a haematological condition who require chronic RBC transfusions.
Exclusion criteria
Minors under the age of 18 and patients over the age of 80. Mentally impaired or individuals in dependent relationships who are not sound of mind to consent to participate in this study.
Outcome results
None listed