Prevalence and Specificity of Red Cell Alloantibodies in Repeated Antibody Screening among Thai Blood Donors

Abstract

Antibody  screening test in donor plasma is important to prevent severe transfusion

reactions  due to immune mediated hemolysis  in the recipients.  An  automated analyzer is widely

used  for  mass  screening;  however,  an  increased  numbers  of  units  with  positive  antibody

screening  compared  with  conventional  techniques  may  result  in  blood supply  fluctuations.

We repeated antibody screening  test to establish evidence-based guidelines for antibody testing

among Thai  blood donors.  Altogether,  136  out of 4,834  donor plasma samples with positive

antibody  screening   test  were  repeat-tested  using  the  conventional  tube  test  and  column

agglutination  test. Only  positive samples were determined for antibody specificity  and analyzed

according to sex, age groups and ABO types. Unaltered positive antibody screening results were

81 (1.68%)  samples. The frequencies of positive alloantibodies were significantly  higher among

female than male donors (p = 0.041)  and no significant  differences  were found in different age

groups. Positive donors were significantly  higher in B  blood group than other blood groups

(p = 0.005).  Antibody  identification  results belonged to a single antibody,  61 samples (75.32%);

multiple  antibodies,  12  samples  (14.80%)   and unidentified  antibodies,  8  samples  (9.88%).

Antibodies in the Lewis  system were the most common, followed by those of the MNS  system.

Potent anti-Mia   of 2 donor plasma could be used as standard human antisera. In conclusion,

the impacts of repeated antibody screening  established evidence-based guidelines for antibody

testing among Thai  blood donors. This  application was useful for not only reducing unnecessarily

removed blood products but also expanding the in-house antisera. A  similar  strategy  can  be

implemented in laboratories with related problems.