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

Autoimmune Disease

Obligatory

Must not donate if:
a) The donor has needed treatment to suppress the condition in the last 12 months.

b) The cardiovascular system is involved.

Discretionary

If donor is being treated with Methotrexate, Sulfasalazine or Hydroxychloroquine as maintainance treatment for Arthritis or to treat alopecia and has no associated cardiovascular disease, accept.

See if Relevant

Cardiovascular Disease
Disabled Donor
Drug Index - preparations which may affect platelet function
Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs
Thrombosis and Thrombophilia 
Trying to Conceive

If treated with transfusion, immunoglobulin, plasma exchange or filtration:
Transfusion

Additional Information

Treatment to suppress the condition may be with monoclonal antibodies (e.g. Adalimumab (Humira), Etanercept (Enbrel), Infliximab (Remicade), Rituximab (Mab Thera) etc), steroids, immunosuppressive drugs, antimetabolites, as well as other therapies such as PUVA (psoralen plus ultraviolet A). 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.

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and  Methotrexate, Sulfasalazine and Hydroxychloroquine, are treatments which do not affect the donor’s immune system in this way. If Methotrexate, Sulfasalazine and Hydroxychloroquine are used as maintainance treatment for Arthritis and donor fits the rest of the criteria they may be accepted.

Physical therapies such as physiotherapy and hydrotherapy are not considered treatments to suppress the condition.

Autoimmune disease can cause problems such as infertility and thrombosis (antiphospholipid or Hughes' syndrome).

Some autoimmune conditions can permanently damage the cardiovascular system. If this is known to have happened, the person should not donate as they are more likely to have a serious adverse event.

Information

Part of this entry is a requirement of the Blood Safety and Quality Regulations 2005.

Reason for change

The addition of monoclonal antibodies to the list of agents that may affect a donor’s immune system.

Donor Information

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Please do not contact this web site for personal medical queries, as we are not in a position to provide individual answers.

Update Information

This entry was last updated in:
DSG-WB Edition 203, Release 38.