Massive immune hemolysis caused by anti-D after dual kidney transplantation

Am J Transplant. 2005 Oct;5(10):2586-9. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-6143.2005.01062.x.

Abstract

Massive immune hemolysis due to passenger lymphocyte-derived anti-D has not been reported in renal transplantation. A 50-year-old (B-positive) male received a dual deceased-donor kidney transplant (B-negative) for diabetic renal failure. Two weeks post-transplant, the patient developed severe hemolytic anemia. The donor anti-D titer was 1:8. The recipient anti-D titer (zero pre-transplant) increased from 1:4 to 1:16 over 4 days. Rapid hemolysis caused severe anemia, minimum Hb = 4.2 g/dL, while selectively lysing the patient's autologous red cells during this time. The hemolytic anemia did not impair the allografts and subsided without monoclonal B-cell pharmacotherapy or apheresis. The anti-D titer decreased to barely detectable levels at four months and had cleared when checked 2 years post-transplant. Transfusion support subsided after two months. If complications of anemia can be avoided, the deleterious effects of hemolysis may be well tolerated by renal allografts using antigen negative transfusion alone.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • ABO Blood-Group System
  • Anemia, Hemolytic / diagnosis*
  • Anemia, Hemolytic / etiology*
  • Anemia, Hemolytic / immunology
  • Blood Group Incompatibility
  • Blood Grouping and Crossmatching
  • Diabetic Nephropathies / pathology*
  • Diabetic Nephropathies / therapy
  • Erythrocytes / cytology*
  • Erythrocytes / pathology
  • Glycosuria, Renal / therapy
  • Hemolysis
  • Humans
  • Isoantibodies / immunology*
  • Isoantibodies / pharmacology*
  • Kidney Transplantation / adverse effects*
  • Kidney Transplantation / methods*
  • Lymphocytes / metabolism
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Rho(D) Immune Globulin
  • Time Factors
  • Transplantation, Homologous

Substances

  • ABO Blood-Group System
  • Isoantibodies
  • RHO(D) antibody
  • Rho(D) Immune Globulin