A study has found an interesting link between a donor’s diet before blood donation and allergic transfusion reactions (ATRs) in recipients, particularly among children.
Blood transfusions are essential for saving lives in cases of severe blood loss from surgery, trauma, or specific blood disorders like anemia and sickle cell disease. However, up to 2% of transfusions can lead to potentially life-threatening allergic transfusion reactions (ATRs). These reactions, which are hypersensitivity responses to blood products, especially platelets and plasma, have an unknown exact mechanism.
In the study published online in the journal Allergy, researchers explored the connection between allergic transfusion reactions (ATRs) and food allergies. They discovered that allergens present in the donor’s blood due to their pre-donation diet could potentially induce the condition.
“In our previous study, we found that pediatric patients with food allergies were characteristically more prone to ATRs. Considering that food allergies are also more prevalent in children, we decided to investigate whether the food the donor ate before giving blood could be associated with the development of ATRs in children with food allergies,” said Dr. Ryu Yanagisawa of Shinshu University Hospital, Japan, who lead the study.
During the study conducted between May 2022 and December 2023, the researchers collected blood samples from over 100 children with known allergies to eggs, wheat, or milk. They also retrieved blood from two healthy donors before and after eating large amounts of these foods and extracted the serum.
After collecting blood from each allergic patient, the researchers conducted basophil activation tests (BATs) to evaluate the activation of basophils, a type of white blood cell involved in allergic reactions. This was conducted by exposing the samples to the corresponding serum.
The results of BATs showed that in patients allergic to eggs, the basophil levels increased when their blood got…
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