Severe hemolytic anemia due to passenger lymphocytes after living-related bowel transplant

Hemolytic anemia following solid organ transplant may be caused by 'passenger' lymphocytes producing antibodies against erythrocytes. This phenomenon has never been described after intestinal transplant.

We report a case of severe, immune-mediated hemolysis due to symptomatic passenger lymphocyte syndrome (PLS) in a 4-yr-old recipient of living donor small bowel transplant. The Coombs'-positive hemolysis was caused by anti-A,B antibodies derived from donor lymphocytes in an ABO-compatible donor-recipient pair (O into A).

This complication was successfully and efficiently treated by the novel combined use of group O RBC transfusion, plasmapheresis and rituximab (anti-CD20).

A severe hemolytic anemia due to PLS can occur in bowel transplantation. This complication should be considered when performing ABO-incompatible bowel transplant with a blood group O donor and an A or B recipient. Treatment with plasmapheresis, blood group O transfusion and rituximab has proved successful in our case.