Blood Transfusion: Donor Antibody Response

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In summary: Hey, that's a good question. Does a blood group 0 person develop antibodies for A and B, only if they are exposed to these antigens or it doesn't have to be that way? I'm not sure and also are only Red blood cells transferred in transfusions. Hopefully someone else who knows this can answer this.Like Sameer suggests, you'd only have those antibodies if you had prior exposures and even if you did your body wouldn't keep a constant circulating supply of them going (antigen specific antibodies are expensive to make, which is why our immune shuts down to "storage mode" after an immune response via memory cells). We also use packed RBCs, which are red blood cells separated from whole blood. So the
  • #1
brainyman89
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why don't the donor's antibodies(found in the transferred blood) attack the receiver's cells during blood transfusion?
 
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  • #2
brainyman89 said:
why don't the donor's antibodies(found in the transferred blood) attack the receiver's cells during blood transfusion?

If you have blood group A, your body doesn't produce antibodies against your own antigens. So blood group A person can transfer blood to another blood group A person. If you have blood group 0, you have no antigens on your cell membrane, so receiver would not attack you, if you are the donor. So you can give blood to everyone if you are O. So blood transfusion is closely matched to make sure what you are saying would not occur. Cheers :smile:
 
  • #3
sameeralord said:
If you have blood group A, your body doesn't produce antibodies against your own antigens. So blood group A person can transfer blood to another blood group A person. If you have blood group 0, you have no antigens on your cell membrane, so receiver would not attack you, if you are the donor. So you can give blood to everyone if you are O. So blood transfusion is closely matched to make sure what you are saying would not occur. Cheers :smile:

What i meant to ask is: suppose you are of blood group O, then your blood will contain antibodies ant-A and anti-B, if you transfer this blood to an individual (receiver) of blood group A for example, then would the antibodies anti-A in the donor's blood attack the receiver's RBC's of blood group A.
 
  • #4
brainyman89 said:
What i meant to ask is: suppose you are of blood group O, then your blood will contain antibodies ant-A and anti-B, if you transfer this blood to an individual (receiver) of blood group A for example, then would the antibodies anti-A in the donor's blood attack the receiver's RBC's of blood group A.

Hey, that's a good question. Does a blood group 0 person develop antibodies for A and B, only if they are exposed to these antigens or it doesn't have to be that way? I'm not sure and also are only Red blood cells transferred in transfusions. Hopefully someone else who knows this can answer this.
 
  • #5
brainyman89 said:
What i meant to ask is: suppose you are of blood group O, then your blood will contain antibodies ant-A and anti-B, if you transfer this blood to an individual (receiver) of blood group A for example, then would the antibodies anti-A in the donor's blood attack the receiver's RBC's of blood group A.

Like Sameer suggests, you'd only have those antibodies if you had prior exposures and even if you did your body wouldn't keep a constant circulating supply of them going (antigen specific antibodies are expensive to make, which is why our immune shuts down to "storage mode" after an immune response via memory cells).

We also use packed RBCs, which are red blood cells separated from whole blood. So the transfusion is really a nutrient solution containing the RBCs and none of the donor plasma (which is where the antibodies would be found).
 

1. What is a blood transfusion?

A blood transfusion is a medical procedure in which donated blood is given to a patient in need. The donated blood is carefully matched to the patient's blood type to ensure compatibility.

2. What is the role of antibodies in a blood transfusion?

Antibodies are proteins in the blood that help the body fight off infections. In a blood transfusion, antibodies can cause a reaction if the donor blood contains antigens (proteins on the surface of red blood cells) that are different from the recipient's.

3. What is the donor antibody response in a blood transfusion?

The donor antibody response refers to the reaction that occurs when a recipient's body detects foreign antigens in the donated blood. This can trigger an immune response, leading to the production of antibodies against the donor blood.

4. How does the body prevent a harmful donor antibody response?

Before a blood transfusion, the donor blood is carefully screened to match the recipient's blood type and minimize the risk of a harmful donor antibody response. In addition, the recipient may receive medications to suppress their immune system and prevent a reaction.

5. What are the potential risks of a donor antibody response in a blood transfusion?

If a donor antibody response occurs, it can lead to a range of symptoms, from mild discomfort to life-threatening complications. These may include fever, chills, difficulty breathing, and organ damage. However, with proper screening and precautions, the risk of a harmful donor antibody response is low.

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