Effect of blood transfusions on renal allograft survival.

One and two-year allograft survival rates of 117 first and 20 second consecutive cadaveric renal allografts are analyzed. The following observations were made: (1) Pretransplant blood transfusions may not improve rate of allograft survival per se. (2) Pretransplant blood transfusions may, however, reduce the number and the severity of rejection episodes in the early posttransplantation period. Thus, the allograft survival, especially in the nontransfused patients, may perhaps be influenced more by the effective manipulation of immunosuppressive therapy during rejection episodes. (3) The presence of lymphocytotoxins per se may not have any deleterious effect on the survival of second allografts.