Transfusion Alloimmunization, Thrombosis and Immunomodulation/Inflammation (TATI)
Program Code: 9222-TC
Sunday, October 25, 2009
2:00 PM to 3:30 PM (ET)

MODERATOR
Neil Blumberg, MD, University of Rochester Medical Center

SPEAKERS
Neil Blumberg, MD, University of Rochester Medical Center
James Zimring, MD, PhD, Puget Sound Blood Center Research Institute
Christopher Silliman, MD, PhD, FAAP, Bonfils Blood Center/Univ of CO at Denver Sch Med
Carlton Barnett, MD, Denver Health Medical Center/ University of Colorado Denver

DESCRIPTION
Allogeneic blood transfusions alter recipient biology, particularly the immune system, in complex and often deleterious ways. Favorable effects are counterbalanced by evidence for increased postoperative infections, alloimmunization and tumor progression/recurrence. Adverse outcomes with blood transfusion often occur in a dose-dependent fashion. In this session, potential mechanisms and supporting data for these clinical and biologic effects will be discussed. The paradigms of alloimmunization and transfusion immunomodulation (TRIM) need to expand to include organ-specific dysfunction due to inflammation (e.g., TRALI/MODS), thrombosis (e.g., myocardial infarction, stroke), and tumor growth with increased metastatic potential.