When an organ is replaced with someone else’s, the body needs immunosuppressants because of the foreign object now in the body. Why is the same not true for a blood transfusion?

Question

Basically title! I was wondering about this. Thanks!

In: 144

Answer 1

Some patients with reduced immune system needs Irradiated blood bags (red blood cells/platelets).
The minimum dose of radiation for the blood bag is (here in Germany) at least 25 gray.

Due to the production of the blood bag, a few white blood cells can still permeate the filter (from the whole blood bag) into the final product.

If you transfuse this blood bag to an patient with a low or incompetent immune system a “graft-versus-host-disease” can occur.