Screening for antibodies to HLA class I in apheresis donors following Covid-19 or SARS-CoV-2 vaccination

Abstract

Transfusion of HLA-specific antibodies may play a role in induction of TRALI, the transfusion complication responsible for most transfusion-related deaths. In Oslo, we screen our apheresis donors and defer HLA-immunized donors from donation of plasma-rich blood components. During the second year of the Covid-19 pandemic and following the first months of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination, both the virus itself and the vaccines were suspected of inducing de novo production of antibodies to HLA class I in patients. For the blood center, the possibility of finding HLA-antibodies in an increased number of blood donors has serious implications. We therefore conducted a study to map the extent of de novo HLA-specific antibodies in representative donor groups. 106 apheresis donors were screened for antibodies to HLA class I/II following Covid-19 or vaccination with either mRNA or adenovirus-vector vaccines, and the findings were compared to pre-Covid blood samples from the same donors. In addition, we analyzed pre-Covid samples from 11 HLA-antibody-positive donors of Covid convalescence plasma. Only three established thrombapheresis donors were deferred due to vaccine-induced HLA-antibodies. In short, our findings did not support the hypothesis that SARS-CoV-2 virus or vaccination cause de novo HLA immunization in healthy blood donors. However, some donors with pre-existing antibodies showed increased antibody expression, confirming a general boost of the immune response following infection or vaccination.