Christopher Anthony Tormey, MD

Research Interests

Blood Coagulation Tests; Blood Group Incompatibility; Blood Group Antigens; Blood Platelet Disorders; Platelet Function Tests; Health Care

Research Organizations

Laboratory Medicine: Transfusion Medicine Program: Blood Bank | VA Connecticut Clinical Laboratories

Faculty Research

Office of Cooperative Research

Research Summary

Dr. Tormey has several diverse research interests within the fields of Transfusion Medicine & Laboratory Hematology ranging from large clinical studies to translational research projects. Areas of current investigation include blood bank-based immunohematology where the properties of red blood cell alloantibodies in veteran populations are examined, particularly those factors influencing the duration of humoral response following alloimmunization. In addition, Dr. Tormey is interested in studying the biochemical and immunologic effects of storage on platelet components in the blood bank. Finally, he is also interested in studying coagulation assays, in particular the clinical scenarios leading to discrepant coagulation test results and the general impact of coagulation assays on transfusion-related care.

Selected Publications

• The influence of clinical and biological factors on transfusion-associated non-ABO alloimmunization: responders, hyper-responders, and non-respsonders. Transfus Med Hemother 2014;41:420-9
• Use of a cytokine-release assay to demonstrate loss of platelet secretory capacity during blood bank processing and storage. Arch Pathol Lab Med 2014;138:1481-7.
• Lupus anticoaulant testing and anticoagulation do not mix: quantitation of discrepant results and potential approaches to reduce false positives. Br J Haematol 2014;167:704-7.
• Immunogenicity of blood group antigens: a mathematical model corrected for antibody evanescence with exclusion of naturally occurring and pregnancy-related antibodies. Blood 2009;114:4279-82.
• Estimating the immunogenicity of blood group antigens: a modified calculation that corrects for transfusion exposures. Br J Haematol 2016;175:154-60.
• Chronic inflammatory autoimmune disorders are a risk factor for red blood cell alloimmunization. Br J Haematol 2016;174:483-5.

Full List of PubMed Publications

• Karafin MS, Westlake M, Hauser RG, Tormey CA, Norris PJ, Roubinian NH, Wu Y, Triulzi DJ, Kleinman S, Hendrickson JE, NHLBI Recipient Epidemiology and Donor Evaluation Study-III (REDS-III).: Risk factors for red blood cell alloimmunization in the Recipient Epidemiology and Donor Evaluation Study (REDS-III) database. Br J Haematol. 2018 Apr 19; 2018 Apr 19. PMID: 29675950
• Zheng Y, Pollak J, Henderson K, Hendrickson JE, Tormey CA: A novel association between high red blood cell alloimmunization rates and hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia. Transfusion. 2018 Mar; 2017 Dec 6. PMID: 29210083
• Flegel WA, Chen Q, Castilho L, Keller MA, Klapper EB, Lane WJ, Pirenne F, Stack G, St-Louis M, Tormey CA, Waxman DA, Weinstock C, Wendel S, Denomme GA: Molecular immunohaematology round table discussions at the AABB Annual Meeting, Orlando 2016. Blood Transfus. 2018 Feb 14; 2018 Feb 14. PMID: 29517973
• Cheng C, Gokhale A, Tormey CA, Hendrickson JE, Bahar B: Preanalytical errors in transfusion medicine: Reply to "74-year-old female with new monoclonal protein on serum immunofixation electrophoresis". Clin Biochem. 2017 Dec; 2017 Aug 31. PMID: 28864294
• Bahar B, Cheng C, Baine IL, Tormey CA: The perils of storing thawed cryoprecipitate in the refrigerator. Transfusion. 2017 Dec. PMID: 29226374
• Gibb DR, Liu J, Santhanakrishnan M, Natarajan P, Madrid DJ, Patel S, Eisenbarth SC, Tormey CA, Stowell SR, Iwasaki A, Hendrickson JE: B cells require Type 1 interferon to produce alloantibodies to transfused KEL-expressing red blood cells in mice. Transfusion. 2017 Nov; 2017 Aug 23. PMID: 28836263
• Cheng CW, Hendrickson JE, Tormey CA, Sidhu D: Therapeutic Plasma Exchange and Its Impact on Drug Levels: An ACLPS Critical Review. Am J Clin Pathol. 2017 Sep 1. PMID: 28821193
• Astle JM, Rose MG, Racke FK, Tormey CA, Siddon AJ: R634W KIT Mutation in an Adult With Systemic Mastocytosis. Lab Med. 2017 Aug 1. PMID: 28520972
• Natarajan P, Santhanakrishnan M, Tormey CA, Hendrickson JE: The impact of vaccination on RBC alloimmunization in a murine model. Vox Sang. 2017 Aug; 2017 Jun 8. PMID: 28597520
• Celli R, Schulz W, Hendrickson JE, Tormey CA: A novel network analysis tool to identify relationships between disease states and risks for red blood cell alloimmunization. Vox Sang. 2017 Jul; 2017 Mar 23. PMID: 28337751
• Sidhu D, Snyder EL, Tormey CA: Two approaches to the clinical dilemma of treating TTP with therapeutic plasma exchange in patients with a history of anaphylactic reactions to plasma. J Clin Apher. 2017 Jun; 2016 Jun 1. PMID: 27246502
• Tormey CA, Hendrickson JE: Irradiation of Red Blood Cells and Alloimmunization. Lab Med. 2017 May 1. PMID: 28340248
• Cheng C, Tormey CA, Hendrickson JE: Limitations of a scoring model to predict thrombotic thrombocytopaenic purpura. Vox Sang. 2017 Feb; 2017 Jan 18. PMID: 28098338
• Liu J, Santhanakrishnan M, Natarajan P, Gibb DR, Eisenbarth SC, Tormey CA, Siddon AJ, Stowell SR, Branch DR, Hendrickson JE: Antigen modulation as a potential mechanism of anti-KEL immunoprophylaxis in mice. Blood. 2016 Dec 29; 2016 Sep 29. PMID: 27688803
• Hendrickson JE, Tormey CA: Understanding red blood cell alloimmunization triggers. Hematology Am Soc Hematol Educ Program. 2016 Dec 2. PMID: 27913514
• Hendrickson JE, Eisenbarth SC, Tormey CA: Red blood cell alloimmunization: new findings at the bench and new recommendations for the bedside. Curr Opin Hematol. 2016 Nov. PMID: 27454234
• Stack G, Tormey CA: Detection rate of blood group alloimmunization based on real-world testing practices and kinetics of antibody induction and evanescence. Transfusion. 2016 Nov; 2016 Jul 9. PMID: 27394029
• Torres R, Tormey CA: Modelling gas exchange during platelet storage without agitation. Vox Sang. 2016 Nov; 2016 Oct 19. PMID: 27864979
• Stack G, Tormey CA: Estimating the immunogenicity of blood group antigens: a modified calculation that corrects for transfusion exposures. Br J Haematol. 2016 Oct; 2016 Jun 24. PMID: 27340943
• Lee AI, Tormey CA: The Hidden Lesion. N Engl J Med. 2016 Sep 22. PMID: 27653584
• Flegel WA, De Castilho SL, Keller MA, Klapper EB, Moulds JM, Noizat-Pirenne F, Shehata N, Stack G, St-Louis M, Tormey CA, Waxman DA, Weinstock C, Wendel S, Denomme GA: Molecular immunohaematology round table discussions at the AABB Annual Meeting, Philadelphia 2014. Blood Transfus. 2016 Sep; 2015 Dec 21. PMID: 26710354
• Hendrickson JE, Tormey CA: Human papilloma virus vaccination and dysautonomia: Considerations for autoantibody evaluation and HLA typing. Vaccine. 2016 Aug 31. PMID: 27553747
• Ryder AB, Hendrickson JE, Tormey CA: Chronic inflammatory autoimmune disorders are a risk factor for red blood cell alloimmunization. Br J Haematol. 2016 Aug; 2015 Oct 12. PMID: 26456151
• Hendrickson JE, Hendrickson ET, Gehrie EA, Sidhu D, Wallukat G, Schimke I, Tormey CA: Complex regional pain syndrome and dysautonomia in a 14-year-old girl responsive to therapeutic plasma exchange. J Clin Apher. 2016 Aug; 2015 May 23. PMID: 26011726
• Siddon AJ, Tormey CA: Successful Use of Four Factor-Prothrombin Complex Concentrate for Congenital Factor X Deficiency in the Setting of Neurosurgery. Lab Med. 2016 Aug; 2016 Jul 4. PMID: 27378481
• Torres R, Tormey CA, Stack G: Fluid motion and shear forces in platelet storage bags with different modes of agitation. Vox Sang. 2016 Aug; 2016 Apr 14. PMID: 27078040
• Flegel WA, Castilho L, Heaton WA, Keller MA, Klapper EB, Lane WJ, Pirenne F, Shehata N, Stack G, St-Louis M, Tormey CA, Wagner FF, Waxman DA, Denomme GA: Molecular immunohaematology round table discussions at the AABB Annual Meeting, Anaheim 2015. Blood Transfus. 2016 Jul 29; 2016 Jul 29. PMID: 27483480
• Gibb DR, Calabro S, Liu D, Tormey CA, Spitalnik SL, Zimring JC, Hendrickson JE, Hod EA, Eisenbarth SC: The Nlrp3 Inflammasome Does Not Regulate Alloimmunization to Transfused Red Blood Cells in Mice. EBioMedicine. 2016 Jul; 2016 Jun 16. PMID: 27345021
• Santhanakrishnan M, Tormey CA, Natarajan P, Liu J, Hendrickson JE: Clinically significant anti-KEL RBC alloantibodies are transferred by breast milk in a murine model. Vox Sang. 2016 Jul; 2016 Mar 7. PMID: 26950259
• Hendrickson JE, Tormey CA: Transfusion Medicine. Hematol Oncol Clin North Am. 2016 Jun; 2016 Mar 30. PMID: 27113006
• Hendrickson JE, Tormey CA: Red Blood Cell Antibodies in Hematology/Oncology Patients: Interpretation of Immunohematologic Tests and Clinical Significance of Detected Antibodies. Hematol Oncol Clin North Am. 2016 Jun. PMID: 27113001
• Calabro S, Gallman A, Gowthaman U, Liu D, Chen P, Liu J, Krishnaswamy JK, Nascimento MS, Xu L, Patel SR, Williams A, Tormey CA, Hod EA, Spitalnik SL, Zimring JC, Hendrickson JE, Stowell SR, Eisenbarth SC: Bridging channel dendritic cells induce immunity to transfused red blood cells. J Exp Med. 2016 May 30; 2016 May 16. PMID: 27185856
• Arthur CM, Patel SR, Sullivan HC, Winkler AM, Tormey CA, Hendrickson JE, Stowell SR: CD8+ T cells mediate antibody-independent platelet clearance in mice. Blood. 2016 Apr 7; 2016 Jan 19. PMID: 26787734
• Tormey CA, Santhanakrishnan M, Smith NH, Liu J, Marschner S, Goodrich RP, Hendrickson JE: Riboflavin-ultraviolet light pathogen reduction treatment does not impact the immunogenicity of murine red blood cells. Transfusion. 2016 Apr; 2015 Dec 8. PMID: 26643781
• Unold D, Tormey CA: Clinical Applications of 4-Factor Prothrombin Complex Concentrate: A Practical Pathologist's Perspective. Arch Pathol Lab Med. 2015 Dec. PMID: 26619030
• Gehrie EA, Tormey CA: Edoxaban: Efficacy, Laboratory Monitoring, and Approach to Reversal. Arch Pathol Lab Med. 2015 Dec. PMID: 26619017
• Gehrie EA, Tormey CA: The strengths and limitations of animal models in assessing the effects of red blood cell storage age on clinical outcomes. Transfusion. 2015 Nov. PMID: 26559396
• Gehrie EA, Hendrickson JE, Tormey CA: Measuring the influence of blood component infusion rate on recipient vital signs. Vox Sang. 2015 Nov; 2015 Jul 14. PMID: 26174450
• Stowell SR, Arthur CM, Girard-Pierce KR, Sullivan HC, Santhanakrishnan M, Natarajan P, Patel SR, Tormey CA, Zimring JC, Hendrickson JE: Anti-KEL sera prevents alloimmunization to transfused KEL RBCs in a murine model. Haematologica. 2015 Oct; 2015 Jul 16. PMID: 26185172
• Schulz WL, Tormey CA, Torres R: Computational Approach to Annotating Variants of Unknown Significance in Clinical Next Generation Sequencing. Lab Med. 2015 Fall. PMID: 26489672
• Gehrie EA, Hendrickson JE, Tormey CA: Variation in vital signs resulting from blood component administration in adults. Transfusion. 2015 Aug; 2015 Apr 13. PMID: 25867097
• Flegel WA, Castilho L, Delaney M, Klapper EB, Moulds JM, Noizat-Pirenne F, Shehata N, Stack G, Tormey CA, Wagner FF, Waxman DA, Weinstock C, Wendel S, Denomme GA: Molecular immunohaematology round table discussions at the AABB Annual Meeting, Denver 2013. Blood Transfus. 2015 Jul; 2014 Dec 2. PMID: 25545874
• Tormey CA, Hendrickson JE: Routine non-ABO blood group antigen genotyping in sickle cell disease: the new frontier in pretransfusion testing? Transfusion. 2015 Jun. PMID: 26094720
• Chandler JB, Torres R, Rinder HM, Tormey CA: Lupus anticoagulant testing and anticoagulation do not mix: quantitation of discrepant results and potential approaches to reduce false positives. Br J Haematol. 2014 Dec; 2014 Jul 18. PMID: 25041401
• Tormey CA, Stack G: Use of a cytokine-release assay to demonstrate loss of platelet secretory capacity during blood bank processing and storage. Arch Pathol Lab Med. 2014 Nov. PMID: 25357109
• Gehrie EA, Tormey CA: The Influence of Clinical and Biological Factors on Transfusion-Associated Non-ABO Antigen Alloimmunization: Responders, Hyper-Responders, and Non-Responders. Transfus Med Hemother. 2014 Nov; 2014 Nov 17. PMID: 25670929
• Hendrickson JE, Tormey CA, Shaz BH: Red blood cell alloimmunization mitigation strategies. Transfus Med Rev. 2014 Jul; 2014 May 15. PMID: 24928468
• Tormey CA, Smith BR: In reply. Transfusion. 2014 May. PMID: 24819077
• Flegel WA, Johnson ST, Keller MA, Klapper EB, Khuu HM, Moulds JM, Seltsam AW, Stack G, St-Louis M, Tormey CA, Wagner FF, Weinstock C, Yazer MH, Denomme GA: Molecular immunohaematology round table discussions at the AABB Annual Meeting, Boston 2012. Blood Transfus. 2014 Apr; 2013 Oct 18. PMID: 24333058
• Abi Raad R, Tormey CA, Siddon AJ: Transfusion medicine illustrated. Catastrophic basilar artery leukostasis in the setting of acute myeloid leukemia. Transfusion. 2014 Apr. PMID: 24724788
• Unni N, Peddinghaus M, Tormey CA, Stack G: Record fragmentation due to transfusion at multiple health care facilities: a risk factor for delayed hemolytic transfusion reactions. Transfusion. 2014 Jan; 2013 May 27. PMID: 23711236
• Winkler AM, Tormey CA, Education Committee of the Academy of Clinical Laboratory Physicians and Scientists.: Pathology consultation on monitoring direct thrombin inhibitors and overcoming their effects in bleeding patients. Am J Clin Pathol. 2013 Nov. PMID: 24124139
• Tormey CA, Stack G: Limiting the extent of a delayed hemolytic transfusion reaction with automated red blood cell exchange. Arch Pathol Lab Med. 2013 Jun. PMID: 23721278
• Snyder EL, Whitley P, Kingsbury T, Miripol J, Tormey CA: In vitro and in vivo evaluation of a whole blood platelet-sparing leukoreduction filtration system. Transfusion. 2010 Oct; 2010 Oct 4. PMID: 20497514
• Smith BR, Aguero-Rosenfeld M, Anastasi J, Baron B, Berg A, Bock JL, Campbell S, Crookston KP, Fitzgerald R, Fung M, Haspel R, Howe JG, Jhang J, Kamoun M, Koethe S, Krasowski MD, Landry ML, Marques MB, Rinder HM, Roberts W, Schreiber WE, Spitalnik SL, Tormey CA, Wolf P, Wu YY, Academy of Clinical Laboratory Physicians and Scientists.: Educating medical students in laboratory medicine: a proposed curriculum. Am J Clin Pathol. 2010 Apr. PMID: 20231605
• Selbst M, Ross R, Tormey CA: Complications associated with the serological evaluation of febrile transfusion reactions. Conn Med. 2010 Feb. PMID: 20218043
• Tormey CA, Peddinghaus ME, Erickson M, King KE, Cushing MM, Bill J, Goodrich T, Snyder EL: Improved plasma removal efficiency for therapeutic plasma exchange using a new apheresis platform. Transfusion. 2010 Feb; 2009 Oct 5. PMID: 19804570
• McClaskey J, Xu M, Snyder EL, Tormey CA: Clinical trials for pathogen reduction in transfusion medicine: a review. Transfus Apher Sci. 2009 Dec; 2009 Sep 29. PMID: 19793679
• Tormey CA, Stack G: Immunogenicity of blood group antigens: a mathematical model corrected for antibody evanescence with exclusion of naturally occurring and pregnancy-related antibodies. Blood. 2009 Nov 5; 2009 Aug 27. PMID: 19713462
• Peddinghaus ME, Tormey CA: Platelet-related bleeding: an update on diagnostic modalities and therapeutic options. Clin Lab Med. 2009 Jun. PMID: 19665674
• Tormey CA, Sweeney JD, Champion MH, Pisciotto PT, Snyder EL, Wu Y: Analysis of transfusion reactions associated with prestorage-pooled platelet components. Transfusion. 2009 Jun; 2009 Mar 23. PMID: 19389029
• Tormey CA, Fisk J, Stack G: Red blood cell alloantibody frequency, specificity, and properties in a population of male military veterans. Transfusion. 2008 Oct; 2008 Jul 9. PMID: 18631165
• Tormey CA, Snyder EL, Cooper DL: Mobilization, collection, and transplantation of peripheral blood hematopoietic progenitor cells in a patient with multiple myeloma and hemoglobin SC disease. Transfusion. 2008 Sep; 2008 May 29. PMID: 18513256
• Kenney B, Tormey CA: Acute vancomycin-dependent immune thrombocytopenia as an anamnestic response. Platelets. 2008 Aug. PMID: 18791945
• Kenney B, Tormey CA, Qin L, Sosa JA, Jain D, Neto A: Adult nesidioblastosis. Clinicopathologic correlation between pre-operative selective arterial calcium stimulation studies and post-operative pathologic findings. JOP. 2008 Jul 10; 2008 Jul 10. PMID: 18648143

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