Alloimmunity occurs when the body attacks antigens produced by members of the same species, leading to illness or injury. It can be a problem for transfusions, transplants, and pregnancies. Medicines to suppress the immune system can reduce the risk of alloimmune reactions.
Alloimmunity is the development of reactions to antigens produced by members of the same species. The body recognizes them as foreign and attacks them, just as it would if exposed to antigens from other organisms. This can lead to illness or injury as the immune system attempts to break down foreign cells. It can be a problem for patients receiving transfusions, grafts and transplants, and can also be a problem in some pregnancies.
Individuals within a species form compounds such as major histocompatibility complexes that differ from those produced by other individuals. These are recognized by the immune system as friendly, because they are produced by the body itself. In alloimmunity, exposure of another member of the same species to those complexes causes an immune reaction to form. Identifies compounds as foreign and attacks them. This can be a significant problem with allografts, transplant materials taken from other people.
In pregnancies, an alloimmune reaction sometimes occurs between the mother and the fetus. The mother’s body identifies the compounds in the fetal blood as alien, and her immune system attacks them. Maternal alloimmunity can cause thrombocytopenia in the fetus or newborn. The severity of the condition may depend on the specific nature of the reaction, and treatment options may include monitoring and transfusions of fresh platelets to boost your child’s levels.
The development of alloimmunity may play a role in transfusion reactions as well as graft or graft rejection. Some types of transplants appear to be less prone to this problem than others. Corneas, for example, can be easily transplanted with minimal donor-recipient matching. Other organs and tissues may require very careful matching to check for obvious antigenic reactions and, even then, the patient’s body may develop immunity to the antigens in the graft material. Medicines to suppress the immune system can reduce the risk of alloimmune reactions.
Recipients aren’t the only ones who can develop alloimmunity. A potential complication of bone marrow transplants known as graft-versus-host disease involves the development of a reaction in the donor marrow. Identify the compounds found in the recipient’s body as dangerous and start attacking them. When the new bone marrow replicates and starts making blood cells that enter the circulation, they attack the recipient’s tissues. Patients may need to be treated with immunosuppressants to moderate the reaction while still allowing the bone marrow to function.
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