The histo-blood group ABO system and tissue transplantation

In general, one might expect that ABO incompatibility of donor and recipient would be important to some degree if viability of the transplanted allograft is important for graff incorporation and function. This is true for some recipients of organs. However, ABO incompatibility appears to play a minor role, if any, in the clinical success of viable cornea and viable skin allografts. Even though A and B antigens may be present on the transplanted tissue, other factors that can contribute include the strength of the immune response, the avidity of the antibody, and the dose of the antigen presented, which may vary from donor to donor. Although A and B antigens are present on endothelium, the use of ABO-incompatible heart valves is successful, as they carry out their mechanical function by using the strength of the connective tissue rather than the viability of the donor endothelium. The presence, immunogenicity, and significance of A and B antigens in human vessel transplants have not been well studied. With the more commonly transplanted tissue, such as bone and tendon, posttransplant success does not depend on cellular viability or ABO compatibility.