Immunologic characterization suggests reduced alloimmunization in a murine model of thalassemia intermedia

Background Transfusion therapy remains a mainstay of treatment for patients with thalassemia major and to a lesser extent for the less anemic patients with thalassemia intermedia. We have previously reported a role for regulatory T cells (Tregs) in the control of antibody responses in wildtype C57BL/6 (WT) mice exposed to allogeneic RBC transfusions. As an initial step to study and characterize immune regulation in thalassemias, we performed an immunological cell type characterization of C57BL/6 Hbbth-1/Hbbth-1 mouse model of thalassemia intermedia (Thal) in steady state as well as following transfusions with allogeneic blood.