Bone marrow transplantation is the therapy of choice for some hematological diseases. However, in the general population there are few compatible donors for patients. Fortunately, there is a better chance of finding compatible donors in the same ethnical group as the patient. In the city of Curitiba, the state of Paraná, few Japanese descendants are registered as bone marrow donors in the State Blood Center (Hemepar). The purpose of this study was to investigate the perception of the Japanese descendants of the Bone Marrow Registry and in particular the possible reasons that few of these individuals are registered. Data were collected from April to May of 2008, through an interview process applied at random to 400 Japanese descendants. Results were tabulated on a Microsoft Office Excel 2003 spreadsheet and statistical analyses were performed using the Statgraphics Software, version 5.1. In spite of the good cultural background (56%) and good knowledge about bone marrow (77%), Japanese descendents in particular second and third generation subjects did not join the registry not only because of the lack of information about where it is possible to be registered but also because of the lack of information about the donation process itself. It is necessary to develop strategies to provide correct information to the population in order to stimulate Japanese descendants to join the bone marrow registry. Knowledge of the characteristics of the different ethnical groups which compose the Brazilian population is an indicator that may help to increase the number of registered bone marrow donor.
Ethnic groups; bone marrow transplantation; census
