THE INEFFECTIVENESS OF RANDOM DONOR PLATELET TRANSFUSION IN SPLENECTOMIZED, ALLOIMMUNIZED RECIPIENTS

  • 1 January 1984
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 64  (1) , 253-256
Abstract
The effect of splenectomy on the response to random donor platelet transfusion in 15 multitransfused thrombocytopenic patients is presented. Eight patients responded poorly, with low corrected platelet count increments at 1 and 24 h posttransfusion. These 8 patients were clinically alloimmunized and had lymphocytotoxic antibody (LCTAb) in their sera. They responded well to closely HLA-matched transfusions. Seven splenectomized patients responded well to random donor platelets. Five of these patients had no LCTAb and no other evidence of immunization. Two patients who responded well to random donor platelets had weak LCTAb, and 1 responded to platelets presplenectomy in the presence of this antibody. Splenectomy does not improve the response to random donor platelets in alloimmunized recipients.