STUDY OF ALLOIMMUNIZATION IN TRANSFUSION DEPENDENT THALASSEMIA PATIENTS AT A TERTIARY CARE HOSPTAL

Abstract

Background: A well-known consequence of thalassemia patients who receive multiple blood transfusions throughout their lives is the development of alloimmunity, or allo-antibodies against donor red blood cells (RBCs). This leads to hemolysis of the donor's red blood cells, making the transfusion less effective and increasing the risk of secondary problems such as iron overload. This study was conducted to examine how common alloimmunization is in patients with thalassemia.