JPAC Joint United Kingdom (UK) Blood Transfusion and Tissue Transplantation Services Professional Advisory Committee

Autoimmune Disease

ObligatorySee:
Is there an entry for the condition?

Must not donate if:
The donor has needed treatment to suppress the condition in the last 12 months.
DiscretionaryEyes:
If no ocular involvement, accept.
See if RelevantIf treated with immunoglobulin or plasma exchange or filtration:
Immunosuppression
Transfusion
Additional InformationTreatment to suppress the condition may be with steroids, immunosuppressive drugs, antimetabolites, antibodies directed against parts of the immune system as well as other therapies. These will affect the donor's immune system. This may make the donor more susceptible to certain types of infection and also will make some infections more difficult to diagnose.

Autoimmune disease is caused by the body attacking itself. This is with antibodies that are in the fluid part of the blood (plasma), and with immune cells directly attacking target cells in the part/s of the body affected.
Reason for ChangeA link to Immunosuppression has been added.

Update Information

Part of this advice is a requirement of the EU Tissue & Cells Directive.

This entry was last updated in
TDSG-DD Edition 203, Release 11