CAN WE DONATE BLOOD??

[Crabcakes]

I don't think anyone here is calling HIV and Hepatitis autoimmune diseases, unless I was misunderstood when I stated that blood banks test for such diseases. I never implied that they, nor CMV, were autoimmune diseases.

Scottietottie, I can tell you the docs NEVER see your blood. The tubes of blood that are drawn from you are tested, and then stored in a refrigerator for about a week (each lab varies on how long they hold the blood). Then at the tubes are placed in a biohazard bag lined bucket/trash can, and incinerated. *POOF*   Gone to ashes!

[lighthouse33]

My mom has had cercial cancer which is caused by HPV, human papilon virus.  So, I can assume that she can't donate anymore either?  That's too bad, because she has O blood. 

[DragonflyC]

Crabcakes, the original poster in this thread referred to HIV and Hep as autoimmune diseases.  A lot of people make the same mistake, which can be frustrating but I guess is understandable.  Those illnesses certainly get more press than autoimmune diseases, so I think they come to mind for a lot of people when they hear about immune system illnesses. 

[DragonflyC]

Lighthouse, the Red Cross site states, "Eligibility depends on the type of cancer and treatment history. If you had leukemia or lymphoma, including Hodgkin?s Disease and other cancers of the blood, you are not eligible to donate. Other types of cancer are acceptable if the cancer has been treated successfully and it has been more than 12 months since treatment was completed and there has been no cancer recurrence in this time. Lower risk in-situ cancers including squamous or basal cell cancers of the skin that have been completely removed do not require a 12 month waiting period. Precancerous conditions of the uterine cervix do not disqualify you from donation if the abnormality has been treated successfully. You should discuss your particular situation with the health historian at the time of donation."

It also explains, "Chlamydia, venereal warts (human papilloma virus), or genital herpes are not a cause for deferral if you are feeling healthy and well and meet all other eligibility requirements."

So, I think it depends on how your mom's treatment went.  Is she feeling OK?  Has she been in remission for more than a year?  I hope so, for her sake and for the sake of anyone she might be able to help. 

[lighthouse33]

She had a radical hysterectomy done back in 1998.  No reoccurence since as far as we know.  Her choices for treatment were hysterectomy or radiation.  She chose the surgery.  If she had to do it over again she would have chosen the radiation.  Surgery left her with lymphoedema.  Her left leg is swollen to twice the size of her right leg and there is nothing that can be done about it.  She has to rest and elevate it periodically throughout the day.  It happened because they took some of the lymph nodes during surgery.  It also happens with breast cancer patients in their arms.  We have a new exercise machine that is supposed to help with edema, fibro, arthritis, neuropathy etc.  We are both using it.  Started yesterday.  Hoping for it to help both of our conditions.  

My aunt also had cervical cancer.  Had the surgery and within a couple of years it was back, she did the chemo etc. and died very soon after that.  She was a great lady.  

When the gynecological oncologist performed my mom's surgery I believe (could be wrong) he told her that she would always have the human papilloma virus, that there was no way to get rid of it.  That's why I'm surprised that she can donate blood.

[DragonflyC]

Approximately 1 in 4 sexually active adults have some form of HPV, though most will never know it.  It is always in a person's system, but if the Red Cross didn't let people w/ HPV donate blood they wouldn't have very much to go around!

[Bernice]

Dragonfly C,
You are correct I did mistakenly refer to HIV and Hepatitis C as autoimmune diseases. I know very little about either, therefore stand corrected. Thank you. I guess what I was most focused on is the fact that these two as well as sjogren's are thought to be caused by viruses. Well the first two are for sure, sjogren's is ONLY BELIEVED to be, it's at least a suggested possibility. HIV & Hepatitis C I've heard more about and just know that they affect the immune system and blood is contagious. Sjogren's also affect the immune system, I was wondering whether it could be passed on to others through blood transfusions.

Thank you all for insight and imput. There is so very much I am still not knowledgeable of pertaining to sjogren's and the immune system. I read somewhere there are as many as 80 different autoimmune diseases! I am still trying to get understanding about the one I have.

Peace & Be Blessed!
Bernice

[DragonflyC]

Bernice, if you'd like a book that gives a good overview of autoimmune diseases, Mary J. Shomon's Living Well with Autoimmune Disease covers most of them and has handy checklists.  She's not a doctor, so it doesn't provide a great resource for talking to physicians, but it's a solid reference text.  As I've developed a whole host of autoimmune diseases (Hashimoto's, Mixed Connective Tissue Disease, Sjogren's, Raynaud's), it's been nice to have a summary of each at my fingertips.

As for Sjogren's and viruses, they certainly can be related.  All sorts of things can kick autoimmune diseases into action, though there's usually a genetic aspect to it and once a person gets one, others tend to show up.  Type 1 diabetes runs in my family on one side and RA runs on the other.

Best wishes and thanks for starting this interesting thread! 

[Patze]

I wonder if us in the sero negative crowd could donate?  Hummm, interesting question; anyone have any thoughts?  (I couldn't donate anyway due to a genetic blood disorder (I coagulate so fast that the Red Cross told me not to bother anymore, now how sad is that?))

Patze

[tuckerdog]

Here is something I imagine nobody else had heard.  My opthamologist has been studying SJS for years.  He created the disease in mice by stressing them with dry air blowing on them.  Once he had the SJS mice he transfused blood from the SJS mice into normal mice.  Guess what.  The transfused mice also came down with SJS.  I used to be a regular blood donor.  Not anymore.

Tuckerdog

[Bernice]

Tuckerdog,

I do believe that to be most scary! Just let me get this one straight. Are you saying regular dry everyday, every minute, every second AIR, that we breath? If not what the heck is "DRY" air? Without moisture?? I so what was it, the air or the stress OR combination of both??? What environment was this AIR from?

These are just a few questions you may need to take back to him, then please come back with the answer

Simple minded questions are often at the root of great mysteries.

This may confirm the suggestion that a virus is the cause!
Who is this mad scientist anyway? Is he still studying?

Peace & Be Blessed!
Bernice

[stillsguy]

To Linda,

for what it's worth, i just could not let your grand sweeping declaration pass uncorrected, but hep c IS an autoimmune disease. Many bugs, microbes, viruses (including hepatotropic viruses) can leave those predisposed to AI disorders caught between a rock and a hard place. It's the result of b-cell activation.


Sometimes cells fail to die, apoptisis, and the host goes onto cancer or perpetual b-cell activation, as evidenced by RF antigens, NH lymphoma, the various infirmities of myriad ctd's, etc etc.Im very interested in bugs, their length of stay in the host, genetics and all the solar influences in the manifestation of certaindiseases.



My own feeling is thdt some bug vombined with some genetics and some other dumb luck equals the flavor of the ctd; of course

[Linda196]

Hello Stillsguy, welcome to Sjogren's World. Thanks for chiming in here. As you will see as you get to know us, any and all input is of great value, and I learn from all comments, and hope that others do too.

I understand your point, and because there are subtle variations in the definition of the various forms of hepatitis, its easy to interpret in a number of ways.

I was basing my comment on the evolution of the immune system in some people after infection with the hep C virus, resulting in autoimmune hepatitis, which is considered to be a different form of the disease. Of course my comment is only my opinion, and while it is shared by the medical people I deal with personally, I know there are many schools of thought on the subject, and there is a good case to be made for Hep C being exclusively an autoimmune disease.

Infection with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) can lead to autoimmune hepatitis in a minority of patients. This means that the liver cells are damaged not only by the virus but also by the body's own immune system. Not all people with Hep C will develop autoimmune hepatitis, and not all cases of autoimmune hep are preceded by Hep C.

Autoimmune hepatitis triggers the body to attack its liver cells, as if the liver cells were harmful foreign bodies. Patients with a combination of HCV and autoimmune hepatitis generally suffer from more debilitating symptoms than patients with HCV alone. Autoimmune hepatitis is associated with other autoimmune illnesses, including thyroiditis (inflammation of the thyroid), diabetes mellitus, and ulcerative colitis (inflammation of the intestines). Although only a few patients with HCV develop autoimmune hepatitis, these patients appear to have a genetic predisposition that makes them more likely to develop autoimmune hepatitis, compared to HCV-infected individuals without that predisposition.

As you can see, I agree whole heartedly with your comment about the combo of the "bug", genetics, and dumb luck contributing to the development of the disease.

Diseases like autoimmune hepatitis, sarcoidosis, and adult onset Still's Disease, which often result in CTD following infection with a virus, are generally referred to as immune-mediated inflammatory diseases.

[Patze]

Hi Stillsguy,

Let me also welcome you to the SJS World!  Please do peruse the board when you can, and did I mention the tons of terrific members too?

Can you post about your story so we can get to know you a bit more?

Take care -

Patze

[Bernice]

Hello Stillguy,

Welcome!
You seem to very knowledgable good you too will be of great value to the site!

That's one of the great things about this board it's filled with very knowledgable people. Are you in the medical field? We appear to have many that are, me I really don't have a clue other than my personal experiences and what I read and oh! what my doctors tell me, so I'm loaded with questions, many to an wiser one may sound silly. I just think if we all put our heads and hearts together we may be of help to each other and who knows we may just be the very ones to solve this great mystery of sjogren's. Crazier things have happen. A great place to start might be with Tuckerdog's post. All we need is someone willing to gather up about twenty rats, a huge fan to blow air, turn it on high and let it blow on ten of them until they faint from stress, then draw some blood from them inject it into the other ten that have been lying back chillin,  test their blood to see which ones have sjogren's. Come back and report your findings to the site and we will put our great minds together to decide what the next step will be. Any volunteers?? LOL!    :o

AGAIN WELCOME!

Peace & Be Blessed!
Bernice