THIS ARTICLE WAS ORIGINALLY WRITTEN IN 2008. NUMBERS OF POTENTIAL DONORS HAVE SINCE INCREASED
At the present time The Anthony Nolan Bone Marrow Register of approx. 390,000 donors and the National Blood Service’s “British Bone Marrow Registry” of approx. 300,000 donors mainly consists of Caucasian donors - they have a SEVERE shortage of donors from varying ethnic backgrounds.
APPROX. ETHNIC NUMBERS
JEWISH: 7,826
MEDITERRANEAN: 3,591
ASIAN: 12,686
AFRICAN AND AFRICAN CARIBBEAN: 25,000
NORTH EUROPEAN: 609, 185
EVEN LESS IS OF EASTERN EUROPEAN, MIDDLE EASTERN AND CHINESE ORIGIN.
The other Bone Marrow Donor Registers around the world also experience this problem.
In deciding whether a potential donor’s bone marrow will be compatible with a patient it is necessary to carry out further blood tests to ascertain both persons tissue types. Each person’s tissue type is made up of a series of antigens - there are hundreds of antigens in existence and therefore thousands of tissue types. Different antigens and permutations of antigens are more commonly found within certain racial or ethnic sections of society. i.e. it would be unlikely to find a match for a African/African Caribbean British patient from a largely Caucasian register. Similarly, an Asian patient would be more likely to find a match from within the Asian community, and so on.
A persons tissue type is an inherited characteristic which is passed on from parents to their children and research has shown that the chances of finding a matching donor for a patient is GREATER if the donor is from the same Racial/Ethnic background and descent. We are currently trying to recruit more ethnic minority potential donors in our efforts to offer patients the CHANCE OF LIFE.
