Red cell alloantibodies produced after bone marrow transplantation

This article describes the production of red cell alloantibodies in 13 of 150 patients after bone marrow transplantation. New alloantibodies appeared 12 days to 11 months after the transplantation. The specificities of these antibodies were anti-N, -Jka, -E-like, -Kell-like, -M, -Leb, -Hl, -H and -A1. The posttransplantation production of antibody could be due to either the transfusion of mature lymphocytes along with the marrow, the ability of the grafted immune system to produce alloantibodies, or the viable immunocompetent cells remaining despite high-dose chemotherapy and irradation.