2. Explain why patients or caregivers need to be careful about which type of blo

Question

2. Explain why patients or caregivers need to be careful about which type of blood is being donated. Why is Type O a universal donor? Why is AB a universal recipient?

a. What happens when our immune system fails to recognize self? What is one way to treat this problem?

b. What tissues are attacked (i.e., antibodies produced for) in the following common auto-immune diseases and (knowing what you know about physiology so far this semester) what might be a major consequences: multiple sclerosis and myasthenia gravis?

Explanation / Answer

2. Patient & caregivers both should be concerned about blood group which is being donated--> It is because a blood groups mismatch between the donor blood to recipient 's blood would cause haemolysis of donor's blood and will lead to variuos complication due to this hemolysis---> hemolysed blood will release hemglobin and other toxins from red blood cells----> reactions are fever ( due to toxins from rbc), kidney failure ( agglutinated RBC mass can plug into kidney blood vessel --- renal failure), acute respiratory sysdrome ( due to lodging of agglutinated mass into respiratory blood vessels )

Type O [ have no antigen, but have both A,B antibody] is universal donor , becuase it does not have any antigen in its RBC cell membrane. So when this rbc will be given to patient of another type of blood group, these O group RBC will not agglutinate as thee is no antigen in O group RBC . And A,B antibody of O blood group's plasma will be diluted in recipient's plasma and will not be able to agglutinate the RBC ( whether it is A or B or AB type) due to the dilution.

AB [ have A, B both the antigen but not antibody ] type blood group is universal recipient. When any blood goroup is given to AB type patient, there is no agglutination of donor RBC as there is no antibody in recipeint's plama. AB recipient's RBC will not be agglutinated as donor antibody ( whatever type it is) will be dilute in recipient's huge amount of plasma.

2.a) When our immune system fails to recognize autologus antigen, our own antibody reacts again our own antigen causing autoimmune disease ( example: multiple sclerosis ).

To treat autoimmune disease we need to make our immune system weak by taking immunosupressive medicine like steroids( methyl prednisolone), anti-metabolites( mycophenolate mofetil), so that autoimmune reactions can not happen.

2.b)

Multiple sclerosis: Here nuronal tissue of central nervous system are attacked by T-cell ( CD4 + CD8) mediated autoimmune reaction ( demyelination of neurone of central nervous system) --->

consequences ( all due to demyelination of neurones of central nervous system)

Gait disturbaces

blurred or double vision

Muscle weakness

fatigue

poor bldder/bowel control

Numbness/ tingling sensation in limbs and othe body area

depression

Myasthenia gravis : Here autoimmune antibodes are directed against acetyl choline receptors on muscle cells

Consequences:

Muscle weakness ( as muscle can not contract due to acetyl choline receptor non functionality)

Respiratory failure ( due to respiratory muscle failure)

Dropping of eyelids

Diificulty in swallowing

muscular atrophy due to muscle non use.

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