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Transfusion-Associated Immunodulation in Cancer Recurrence and Postoperative Infection: Meta-Analyses of Randomised Controlled Clinical Trials

  • Chapter
Book cover Risk Management in Blood Transfusion: The Virtue of Reality

Part of the book series: Developments in Hematology and Immunology ((DIHI,volume 34))

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Abstract

Allogeneic blood transfusion has been reported to cause immunomodulatory effects, which purportedly enhance the survival of renal allografts [1], increase the recurrence rate of resected malignancies [2–5], increase the frequency of postoperative bacterial infections [3,5,6–8], reduce the recurrence rate of Crohn’s disease [9], and/or accelerate the progression of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection [10]. The specific constituent(s) of donor blood that mediate these immunomodulatory effects remain unknown, but both animal and human data suggest that these effects are mediated by allogeneic white cells (WBCs) [11]. Plausible mechanisms for these effects have been advanced by several authors [12,13], but experiments in laboratory animals may not directly extrapolate to humans [14]. Moreover, different pathophysiologic mechanisms may be involved in each of the reported immunosuppressive effects associated with allogeneic blood transfusion, and the clinical evidence supporting each of the aforementioned hypotheses should be examined on its own merits.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Service, New York VAMC, New York, NY, USA

    E. C. Vamvakas (Chief)

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  1. E. C. Vamvakas
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Blood Bank Noord Nederland, Groningen, The Netherlands

    C. Th. Smit Sibinga

  2. National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA

    H. J. Alter

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Vamvakas, E.C. (1999). Transfusion-Associated Immunodulation in Cancer Recurrence and Postoperative Infection: Meta-Analyses of Randomised Controlled Clinical Trials. In: Sibinga, C.T.S., Alter, H.J. (eds) Risk Management in Blood Transfusion: The Virtue of Reality. Developments in Hematology and Immunology, vol 34. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-3009-8_13

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-3009-8_13

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4419-4822-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4757-3009-8

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