The effect of blood-transfusions on renal allograft survival

The relation between previous bloodtransfusions and renal allograft survival was studied retrospectively in 88 patients, who had been transplanted for the first time. The allograft survival rate was higher in the group who had received bloodtransfusion than in the group who had not. This difference was significantly greater when considering patients who had not previously been pregnant, e.g. patients without previous stimulation of the immuno system. The material shows no difference in allograft survival between previously transfused and non transfused patients, when considering age, sex or disease of kidney. In this retrospective study it is concluded that previous transfusions improved the prognosis of the transplantation. A prospective study has yet to be done, in order to enlighten the influence of various other factors on the allograft survival rate such as length of period or uraemia and of dialysis.