Hemolysis from ABO Incompatibility

Daimon P Simmons; William J Savage

doi:10.1016/j.hoc.2015.01.003

Hemolysis from ABO Incompatibility

Hematol Oncol Clin North Am. 2015 Jun;29(3):429-43. doi: 10.1016/j.hoc.2015.01.003. Epub 2015 Mar 10.

Authors

Daimon P Simmons¹, William J Savage²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, 75 Francis Street, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
² Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, 75 Francis Street, Boston, MA 02115, USA. Electronic address: wjsavage@partners.org.

PMID: 26043383
DOI: 10.1016/j.hoc.2015.01.003

Abstract

ABO incompatibility of red blood cells leads to brisk complement-mediated lysis, particularly in the setting of red cell transfusion. The ABO blood group is the most clinically significant blood group because of preformed immunoglobulin M (IgM) and IgG antibodies to ABO blood group antigens (isohemagglutinins) in everyone except group AB individuals. In addition to transfusion, ABO incompatibility can cause hemolysis in hematopoietic and solid organ transplantation, hemolytic disease of the newborn, and intravenous immunoglobulin infusion. It is important to prevent ABO incompatibility when possible and to anticipate complications when ABO incompatibility is unavoidable.

Keywords: ABH antigens; ABO blood group; Complement; Hemolysis; Isohemagglutinins; Major incompatibility; Minor incompatibility.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

ABO Blood-Group System / immunology*
Blood Group Incompatibility / etiology
Blood Group Incompatibility / immunology*
Blood Group Incompatibility / prevention & control*
Blood Grouping and Crossmatching / methods
Cell Transplantation / adverse effects
Hemolysis / immunology*
Humans
Models, Immunological
Tissue Transplantation / adverse effects
Transfusion Reaction

Substances

ABO Blood-Group System