The impact of vaccination on RBC alloimmunization in a murine model

Emerging data in animal models and humans suggest that pathogen-associated and damage-associated molecular patterns variably impact RBC alloantibody formation. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that vaccinations may enhance immune responses to transfused RBCs. The Pneumovax23 vaccine decreased the magnitude of anti-KEL alloimmunization in a murine model, whereas the hepB vaccine did not impact the response; RBC transfusion did not alter immune responses to either vaccine. These data highlight the complexities of the intersection of innate and adaptive immunity and suggest that future studies investigating the pathways through which inflammation impacts alloimmunization are warranted.