The Frequency of Unexpected Antibodies and Clinical Characteristics of Transfusion Candidates in a General Hospital During the Past 12 Years / 임상검사와정도관리

BACKGROUND: Unexpected antibodies are an important cause of hemolytic transfusion reaction. Thus, unexpected antibody screening and identification tests should be performed before every transfusion. We evaluated the frequency and distribution of unexpected antibodies and the clinical characteristics of patients in a Korean secondary general hospital with 745 beds in the past 12 years. METHODS: Between March 2000 and October 2011, unexpected antibody screening and an identification test using the Bio-Rad ID-System (Bio-Rad, USA) were performed in 72,600 patients. RESULTS: Of the 72,600 patients, 467 (0.64%) showed positive results for antibody screening tests. Among them, alloantibodies were identified in 324 (69.4%) patients and the types of alloantibodies were not identified in 64 (13.7%) patients. Autoantibodies were detected in 71 (15.2%) patients and panagglutination reactions were detected in 8 (1.7%). Of the 467 cases, 164 (35.1%) had a history of transfusion in our hospital. Among the 324 patients in whom alloantibodies were identified, anti-E (37.3%), anti-Lea (16.7%), anti-E and anti-c (14.8%), anti-C and anti-e (5.6%), anti-Leb (4.9%), anti-D (4.6%), anti-Jka (3.1%), anti-S (2.5%), and anti-M (1.9%) were detected. In 41 of the 324 (12.7%) of these patients, the types of antibodies were identified with the NaCl/Enzyme gel test but not with the LISS/Coombs gel test. CONCLUSIONS: Among the 467 patients, 130 (27.8%) in whom unexpected antibodies were detected, were scheduled for surgery. Because 101 of these 130 patients (77.7%) were unimmunized, unexpected antibody screening may be important in secondary hospitals with patients who do not have a detailed transfusion history. We identified Rh, P, and Lewis group antibodies more efficiently with a combination of the LISS/Coombs gel test and the NaCl/Enzyme gel test.

Diagnostic Usefulness of Antibody Identification Test Including Enzyme Method

BACKGROUND: Many medical institutions in Korea have recently been performing an antibody screening test as one of the essential elements of a pre-transfusion test. In this study we will determine the advantage and clinical significance of adding an enzyme method to the antiglobulin method while conducting the antibody identification test. METHODS: We performed antibody identification tests between December 2002 and December 2005, for a total of 37 months at Pusan National University Hospital. In this study we have analyzed 550 cases that were conducted by both the antiglobulin method and the enzyme method at the same time. RESULTS: A total of 111 of the results were cases of detection using the adding an enzyme method. Among these results, Rh antibodies that included the anti-E had the highest number of results 77 (69.4%), 28 antibody (25.2%), 2 anti-P1 (1.8%) and one anti-Jkb (0.9%). CONCLUSION: Using the enzyme method in the antibody identification test proved to us that there were more clinically significant warm antibodies than cold antibodies. In order to have a more secured transfusion, it is required to identify a clinically significant antibody using the additional enzyme method during the antibody identification test.

The Frequency of Unexpected Antibodies in Blood Donors and Transfusion Candidates in Korea / 대한수혈학회지

BACKGROUND: A retrospective study was performed to estimate the frequency of red cell antibodies in blood donors (n=1,620,023) and transfusion candidates (SNUH n=12,111, YUMH n=26,665) for last 2 years (2000~2001). The results of the antibody screening and identification tests, the frequency and specificities of antibodies identified compared with blood centers and two hospitals had been used the different test methods each others. METHOD: Blood centers had been used tube and micro-plate method simultaneously with an in house and commercial panels. SNUH had been used micro-plate method using V plate with an in house and commercial panels. YUMH had been used gel agglutination technique (DiaMed ID System : DiaMed, Murten; Switzerland) since 1998. RESULTS: The frequencies of red blood cell antibodies were 0.26% (4,204 / 1,620,023 donor sera ), 0.11% (135 / 12,111 patient sera in SNUH) and 0.48% (128 / 26,665 patient sera in YUMH). Female donors and old ages showed higher frequency of red cell antibodies than male and young ages. Most of antibodies detected in donors were clinically less relevant antibodies such as Anti-Lea and Leb (38.9%), anti-P1 (18.1%), anti-H(IH) (8.4%), anti-M (6.2%) and so on. Clinically significant antibodies including Rh system antibodies (2.0%) were few, and composed only 12% of all the antibodies detected. In patients, clinically relevant antibodies including Rh antibodies (40.4% in SNUH, 71.9% in YUMH) were more frequently observed comparing with in donors. CONCLUSION: Antibodies found in donors were mostly clinically less relevant. Antibody screening method used in blood centers would be standardized. Blood banks using gel technique showed high detection rate of clinically significant antibodies comparing with facilities using other methods.

Development of decision support system for antibody identification / 대한수혈학회지

BACKGROUND: Determination of antibody specificity using antigram spread sheet requires experience and knowledge on in vitro characteristics of red cell antibodies, time-consuming, and still subjective to human error. A computer-based antibody identification system was developed to overcome these disadvantages. METHODS: Decision support system program for antibody identification was designed using Visual Basic 5.0 for Dade Data-cyte Plus. This system integrates the reaction patterns of saline, 37degrees C albumin, antiglobulin, 4degrees C saline enzyme treated and user-defined phases and lists the antibodies according to the probability. 115 irregular antibodies previously confirmed by standard manual method reanalyzed with this program. RESULTS: In 111 of 115 cases (96.5%), this system produced the same results with the manual identification. In two cases, of not matched 4 cases the computer program suggested additional antibodies and in one case, the computer program detected previous human error. In the other case, antibody identification was possible only after further tests including selective adsorption of multiple antibodies. CONCLUSION: The decision support system was rapid and easy and showed good concordance rate when compared with manual antibody identificaion results. In addition, human error could be reduced. Decision support system for antibody identification could be used in small blood banks by less experienced staffs.