Convalescent plasma from Norwegian blood donors to treat COVID-19.

Background: At the start of the pandemic, the Norwegian Directorate of Health and Norwegian blood banks initiated the production of COVID-19 convalescent plasma within the framework of clinical studies. In this article we describe the blood donors who participated.

Material And Method: Blood donors who had recovered from COVID-19 were recruited to donate single donor plasma for the purpose of patient treatment.

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

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.

HLA-B*27 typing using a triplex real time PCR in routine laboratory.

We have established an in-house HLA-B*27 multiplex typing assay by using a combination of previously published, newly designed and commercial primers and probes for use with real-time PCR instruments. Hence, facilitating quick and large-scale HLA-B*27 typing.

The novel HLA-A*01 variant, HLA-A*01:308N, detected by sequencing-based typing.

One nucleotide changes in position 740 of HLA-A*01:01 result in a novel null-allele, HLA-A*01:308N.

The novel HLA-A*03 variant, HLA-A*03:08:01:02, detected by sequencing-based typing.

One nucleotide change in position 2606 of HLA-A*03:08:01:01 results in the novel allele, HLA-A*03:08:01:02.

Presensitization revisited: pitfalls of vascular allografts in transplant candidates.

Vascular allografts in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients represent a particular immunological challenge. A broad HLA immunization led us to study in depth the history of two patients with vascular allografts. In Case 1 the allograft was added to a Gore-Tex graft used for haemodialysis access and no immunosuppression was administered.