title: Red blood cell alloimmunization in sickle cell disease: pathophysiology, risk factors, and transfusion management.
abstract: Red blood cell transfusions have reduced morbidity and mortality for patients with sickle cell disease. Transfusions can lead to erythrocyte alloimmunization, however, with serious complications for the patient including life-threatening delayed hemolytic transfusion reactions and difficulty in finding compatible units, which can cause transfusion delays. In this review, we discuss the risk factors associated with alloimmunization with emphasis on possible mechanisms that can trigger delayed hemolytic transfusion reactions in sickle cell disease, and we describe the challenges in transfusion management of these patients, including opportunities and emerging approaches for minimizing this life-threatening complication.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Complement Biology, New York Blood Center, 310 East 67th St, NewYork, NY 10065, USA. kyazdanbakhsh@nybloodcenter.org
authors.forename: Karina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yazdanbakhsh
authors.forename: Russell E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Ware
authors.forename: France
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Noizat-Pirenne
mesh_terms: D000755:Anemia, Sickle Cell / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D001787:Blood Group Incompatibility / Q000276:immunology*; D001803:Blood Transfusion; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007519:Isoantigens / Q000276:immunology*; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D007519:Isoantigens