OPS-Code 8-805.24:

You have been given blood stem cells from someone else’s blood.

Stem cells are cells that can develop into different types of cells. Blood cells develop from the blood stem cells. In adults, blood stem cells are mainly found inside some bones. From there the mature blood cells are released into the blood. A small amount of blood stem cells also enters the blood. Blood is made up of a liquid part and different blood cells, among other things. The blood cells include the red blood cells, the white blood cells and the platelets. The red blood cells carry oxygen from the lungs throughout the body. White blood cells are part of the body’s immune system. They fight pathogens. Platelets are important for blood clotting.

The blood stem cells were firstly taken from another person’s blood. That person was related to you. The person was given a certain drug to allow the blood stem cells to be taken from their blood. This drug causes more blood stem cells to get from the bone to the blood. So there are more blood stem cells than usual in the blood.

Certain treatment is normally required before someone is given blood stem cells from another person. The aim of this treatment is to ensure that as many blood stem cells as possible are destroyed in the person’s own body. The bone marrow can be targeted with radiation for this purpose. The person may also be given certain drugs. The treatment also destroys a part of the person’s own defense system. The immune system protects the body from pathogens and foreign substances. The immune system can also destroy cells in the body that have pathologically changed.

When tissue is donated, the patient’s tissue and the donated tissue should be as similar to one another as possible. Otherwise the immune system may attack the donated tissue. For example, the immune system also fights altered body cells or disease pathogens. Therefore certain tissue characteristics are compared before a tissue donation. For example, one such characteristic of a tissue is the blood group. The characteristics of the donor’s tissue were slightly different to yours. Before you were given the blood stem cells, they were prepared using special methods.

After a patient is given another person’s blood stem cells, they usually need to take certain drugs. The aim of these drugs is to ensure that the person’s own immune system does not attack these blood stem cells. They are also intended to reduce the risk of immune cells from the other person damaging the tissues in the patient's body.