Study of possible clinical and laboratory predictors of alloimmunization against red blood cell antigens in cancer patients

BACKGROUND: The inflammatory background of patients influences the process of alloimmunization against red blood cell antigens. Proof of this statement to clinical practice is still lacking. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to verify whether factors related to disease severity and inflammatory status of cancer patients can predict alloimmunization. METHODS: This was a case-control study in which alloimmunized oncologic patients treated between 2009 and 2012 were compared with a non-alloimmunized control group regarding the severity of the disease (metastasis/performance status/body mass index) and C-reactive protein levels. RESULTS: The groups did not differ significantly in terms of C-reactive protein, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG)/Karnofsky performance status, presence of metastasis and body mass index. CONCLUSION: It is not possible to predict alloimmunization in cancer patients based on severity of illness and inflammatory markers. Strategies of screening patients by phenotyping blood based on these criteria are not justified.