Does the donor DNA affect the recipient in a blood transfusion?

Question

When a person gets a blood transfusion, does the DNA in the donor blood affect the recipient?

In: 14

Answer 1

Red blood cells contain no DNA.
White blood cells do.

A blood transfusion will therefore contain some DNA from the donor.

Using extremely sensitive tests that replicate specific DNA we can sometimes detect the presence of donor DNA up to a year and a half after a donation, but keep in mind this is using extremely sensitive testing. The recipient DNA would be the overwhelming majority.

Eventually however, these DNA levels become undetectable.

Because of how blood cells are made (for the purposes of an ELI5) they don’t replicate in the host, and so eventually, the donor blood goes away.

So to answer your question, donor DNA doesn’t actually affect the recipient in any meaningful way.