ABO BLOOD-GROUP SYSTEM AND BONE-MARROW TRANSPLANTATION

  • 1 January 1977
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 50  (2) , 185-194
Abstract
The role of the ABO blood group system in determining the outcome of bone marrow transplantation was investigated in 53 patients with aplastic anemia and acute leukemia grafted from HL-A-identical siblings. There was no correlation between ABO compatibility and marrow engraftment, graft rejection or graft-vs.-host disease. In 5 recipients with antibodies to antigens of the ABH system present on the cells of their donors prior to transplantation, plasma exchange and antibody absorption in vivo were effective in permitting engraftment of ABO-incompatible bone marrow. The ABO system is apparently not a clinically significant barrier to successful bone marrow transplantation in otherwise histocompatible individuals.