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Aim and Background: Multi-transfused patients develop HLA Antibodies which lead to febrile non- hemolytic transfusion reactions (FNHTR's) • This study demonstrates the effects of leucocytes reduced packed cells transfusion to those patients who were showing repeated FNHTR's. • The study also shows a change in transfusion requirements. Introduction: • The severest form of blood transfusion reaction may be due to incompatible blood transfusion. In vast majority of such instances, the reason is a clerical error. • The hemolysed or contaminated blood transfusion reactions are preventable by a scientific approach and appropriate techniques. The majority of transfusion reactions are of febrile or allergic types. • It is now established that repeated transfusion lead to FNHTRs and predispose a person to the development of HLA antibodies, which may decrease the success rate of transplantation, later. • The cod blood bag (whole blood) Centrifugation is a technique, which reduces leucocytes from the blood bag. This study demonstrates the usefulness of transfusion of such bags. • It is extremely cost effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Common alpha-thalassemia (thal) rearrangements were studied in a normal random population and in six ethnic groups of Pakistan. Analyses of 204 individuals from the normal population revealed the presence of only the -alpha(3.7) allele with an overall frequency of 8.3%. Ethnic differences were statistically significant for Pashtoon vs. Balochi (p < 0.0005) and Pashtoon vs. Sindhi (p < 0.002). Two hundred and eighty-five thalassemia patients were also studied to identify rare alpha-thal alleles. In this group, 24.6% of the patients had one or two alpha genes deleted. Two rare alleles in the Pakistani population, -alpha(4.2) (0.2%) and alphaalphaalpha(anti3.7) (0.9%), were identified in these patients. The -alpha(4.2) allele was found only in Sindhis, while alphaalphaalpha(anti3.7) was present in Punjabis, Sindhis and Balochis. Five patients with triplicated alpha genes were homozygous for either the beta+ or the beta(0) genotype.