NationStates Jolt Archive

This is more by way of an surprising observation than a deep and meaning full thread but it does raise a number of questions.
I was reading an article about a black guy in the UK who needed a bone marrow transplant and had to go onto the international register to await a donor. The problem he had was that you have a better chance of a match if the donor is from the same ethnic group. The donor register was 97% white. All other ethnic groups only represent 3%!
I can think of all sorts of reasons why this may be so from disenfranchisement of black people in western cultures to a lack of community spirit in black people (which I find hard to accept).
Any thoughts?

If this guy were say..a+ blood type......then wouldnt any a+ donor work?

well, im not sure, it may be more likely that a black person would be better off with another blackpersons organs because they will have certain nutrients or somthing that white people dont have. these nutrients havce developed over evolution so.. tahts my theory. If I offended anyone here sorry, but scientiffically it could be true.

Apparently not, I’m told the bone marrow thing is a bit more involved than blood groups. Family members make the best donors then people from the same ethnic group. I suppose there is abetter chance that they are more closely related if from the same ethnic group.

well, im not sure, it may be more likely that a black person would be better off with another blackpersons organs because they will have certain nutrients or somthing that white people dont have. these nutrients havce developed over evolution so.. tahts my theory. If I offended anyone here sorry, but scientiffically it could be true.

Im no doctor..but Ive heard plenty of instances where black donors organs where used in white people...so Im fairly certain that it wouldnt matter.

Internationally, a vast majority of Africans can't give blood because of various diseases from their continent...

well, im not sure, it may be more likely that a black person would be better off with another blackpersons organs because they will have certain nutrients or somthing that white people dont have. these nutrients havce developed over evolution so.. tahts my theory. If I offended anyone here sorry, but scientiffically it could be true.

Im no doctor..but Ive heard plenty of instances where black donors organs where used in white people...so Im fairly certain that it wouldnt matter.
yeah, im not docter either, but it may still work and graft better if they are both of the same ethnic origin. It would still work with white/black grafts but just from the different nutrients that have evolved into different races it would work better i think.

The question is why so few none whites? If you take all the European nations and those of North America the population is not 97% white. The sad fact is if you are black you have less chance of getting a bone morrow donation and therefore less chance of surviving leukaemia. Black people out there, get your selves on the bone marrow register!

The sad fact is if you are black you have less chance of getting a bone morrow donation and therefore less chance of surviving leukaemia

Thats the thing..im not so sure they do....

As long as both donor and recipient have the same blood type.....I dont think it matters...

So..they wouldnt have less of a chance.

Don't know if this link will work but.

http://www.blood.co.uk/pages/marrow_info_why.html



'Sometimes an appropriate donor can be found within the patient's immediate family as it is more likely that their 'tissue type' will match. However, only 30% of donors are found this way, and this is when we rely on the British Bone Marrow Registry to find another suitable donor. And this is the reason we really need people like you who are prepared to help save a life.

It is your genes that determine your tissue type. But there are other factors that determine the probability of finding a compatible tissue typed donor for a patient. Some tissue types are more common in particular ethnic backgrounds. Therefore, in addition to matching a donor and patient's tissue type it's also important to match the ethnic background. By doing this, the transplant has a better chance of being successful.'

Explains it better than I could.

Don't know if this link will work but.

http://www.blood.co.uk/pages/marrow_info_why.html



'Sometimes an appropriate donor can be found within the patient's immediate family as it is more likely that their 'tissue type' will match. However, only 30% of donors are found this way, and this is when we rely on the British Bone Marrow Registry to find another suitable donor. And this is the reason we really need people like you who are prepared to help save a life.

It is your genes that determine your tissue type. But there are other factors that determine the probability of finding a compatible tissue typed donor for a patient. Some tissue types are more common in particular ethnic backgrounds. Therefore, in addition to matching a donor and patient's tissue type it's also important to match the ethnic background. By doing this, the transplant has a better chance of being successful.'

Explains it better than I could.

Ahh..so it needs to be more specific than just blood type then..that explains much.