Transfusion Immunology
 

Early transfusion immunology work in the lab focused on identifying which blood donors harbored anti-HLA antibodies to allow rational TRALI risk reduction screening. In addition, research on pathogen reduction mediated by UV light exposure has revealed that UV light decreases the immunogenicity of irradiated cells. This effect is mediated in part through down-regulation of intercellular adhesion molecules (ICAMs), which blocks T cell recognition of the foreign cells. UV light decreases the ability of actin to aggregate ICAMs on the cell surface after exposure to anti-ICAM antibody, preventing sustained interaction with allo-specific T cells.

More recent work has focused on defining how transfusion affects the global immune response, particularly in subjects receiving blood transfusion the setting of randomized trials. Using a combination of measures of cytokines, cellular immune function, and extracellular vesicle markers we hope to define the specific immune pathways modulated by blood transfusion.

Selected Publications:

Norris PJ, Lee J-H, Carrick D, Gottschall JL, Lebedeva M, de Castro BR, Kleinman SH, Busch MP, for the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) Retrovirus Epidemiology Donor Study-II (REDS-II). Long-Term in vitro Reactivity for Human Leukocyte Antigen Antibodies and Comparison of Detection Using Serum versus Plasma. Transfusion 49(2):243-251 PMC3058293 (2009).

Carrick DM, Johnson B, Kleinman SH, Vorhaben R, Chance SC, Lee JH, Roback JD, Pandey S, Sun Y, Busch MP, Norris PJ. Agreement among HLA antibody detection assays is higher in ever pregnant donors and improved using a consensus cutoff. Transfusion 51(5) 1105-16 PMC3089710 (2011).

Jackman RP, Utter GH, Muench MO, Heitman JW, Munz MM, Jackman RW, Biswas HH, Rivers RM, Tobler LH, Busch MP, Norris PJ. Distinct roles of trauma and transfusion in induction of immune modulation after injury. Transfusion 52(12):2533-50 PMC3392528 (2012).

Jackman RP, Deng X, Bolgiano D, Lebedeva M, Heitman JW, Busch MP, Slichter S, Norris PJ. Low-level HLA antibodies do not predict platelet transfusion failure in TRAP study participants. Blood 121(16):3261-6 PMC3630837 (2013).

Jackman RP, Deng X, Bolgiano D, Utter GH, Schechterly C, Lebedeva M, Operskalski E, Luban NL, Alter H, Busch MP, Slichter SJ, Norris PJ. Leukoreduction and UV treatment reduce both the magnitude and duration of the HLA antibody response. Transfusion 54(3) 672-80 PMC3825847 (2014).

Jackman RP, Bolgiano D, Lebedeva M, Slichter SJ, Norris PJ. C1q-binding anti-HLA antibodies do not predict platelet transfusion failure in TRAP study participants. Transfusion 56(6):1442-50 (2016).

Jackman RP, Muench MO, Inglis H, Heitman JW, Marschner S, Goodrich RP, Norris PJ. Reduced alloimmuninzation and partial tolerance with pathogen reduction of whole blood. Transfusion (in press).