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Biomedical subjects

J E Howard

Publications and source records attributed to J E Howard.

63 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

The natural history of alloimmunization to platelets.

Sixty-three patients have provided evidence that platelets are highly immunogenic even in recipients of potentially immunosuppressive therapy for malignant diseases. Approximately 70 per cent of patients who receive repeated transfusions of platelets from random donors over a prolonged period can be expected to develop lymphocytotoxic antibodies. Antibodies became detectable in one patient ten days after his first exposure to HLA antigens in the form of platelet concentrates, and as early as four days in two patients with prior exposure to HLA antigens. In the most heavily immunized patients, the presence of antibody correlated with poor increments of platelets after transfusion. Patients with prior exposure to HLA antigens are more likely to have antibodies resulting in poor platelet survival. On the other hand, 30 per cent of recipients of repeated platelet transfusions show no tendency to form cytotoxic antibodies.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Clinical significance of the anti-complement component of antiglobulin antisera.

The need for anti-complement (anti-C') activity in antiglobulin antisera (AHG) for the detection of clinically significant antibodies was evaluated during a three-year period. While performing routine compatibility testing using standard blood banking procedures, eight patients were found whose antibodies were detectable primarily or only by AHG containing anti-C' activity; monospecific anti-igG AHG gave weak or negative reactions. Seven of the antibodies were anti-jka or jkb. Two of the anti-jka antibodies were responsible for clinically unsuspected delayed hemolytic transfusion reactions. The anti-jkb antibody resulted in a shortened survival of incompatible 51Cr-labelled red blood cells. The incidence of such "complement-only" Kidd antibodies was 23 percent of all Kidd antibodies found. These data suggest that the omission of anti-C' in AHG in routine compatability testing could result in substantial risk of failure to detect clinically significant antibodies.

Aged↗