Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a systemic ilness effecting over 50,000 patients in the U.S. Transfusions are an important component in the the treatment program for many of the serious complications of SCD. Although a life saving therapy, transfusions also present complications and the persistence of donor white blood cells following transfusion may underlie the immunomodulatory phenomena. This study will examine, prospectively, the natural history of transfused white blood cells and correlate the observations with clinical and laboratory features considered etiologically related.
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