A significant proportion of patients with autoimmune hemolytic anemia form autoantibodies of blood group specificity, rather than nonspecific autoantibodies.

Ashby survival studies suggest that in such cases properly selected blood, lacking the antigens against which autoantibody has been formed, can be transfused successfully.

These concepts are important not only for a better understanding of the nature of autoantibodies, but also can be applied to the practical management of patients with autoimmune hemolytic anemia.

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