Another challenge encountered in clinical practice is the use of cellular products donated by individuals with MBL. Although one study found the frequency of MBL in blood donors to be quite low,(41) the study used a relatively insensitive screening assay that likely underestimated the true prevalence of MBL among blood donors. Further, there is no data regarding clinical outcomes from MBL-donor derived blood products to inform the decision of whether individuals with clinic MBL can safely serve as donors. Currently individuals with an underlying malignancy, including CLL, cannot donate blood, bone marrow, umbilical cord blood, or solid organs for transplantation. Since population-screening MBL can be identified in up to 20% of the adult population when evaluated using sensitive methods(9), this question could have profound affects on the supply of organ and blood products and warrants clinical studies. At present, it is premature to recommend screening blood or solid organ donors for MBL if the donor’s complete blood count (CBC) is normal.
