Platelet antibody screening by flow cytometry is more sensitive than solid phase red cell adherence assay and lymphocytotoxicity technique: a comparative study in Thai patients.

The objective of this study was to compare the sensitivity and specificity of lymphocytotoxicity test (LCT), solid phase red cell adherence assay (SPRCA) and flow cytometry in detecting platelet reactive antibodies against human leukocyte antigens (HLA) class I and human platelet antigens (HPA). Sera from 38 thrombocytopenic patients and 5 mothers of thrombocytopenic newborns were screened for platelet reactive antibodies by these three methods using screening platelets and/or lymphocytes panels derived from six subjects. The sensitivity and specificity of each method and levels of agreement were analysed. HLA antibodies were found in 18, 17 and 19 out of 43 patients’ sera tested by LCT, SPRCA and flow cytometry, respectively. Four out of 43 patients’ sera were reactive against HPA by flow cytometry, but were reactive to only 2 sera by SPRCA. Using flow cytometry as the reference method, the sensitivities/specificities of SPRCA and LCT in HLA antibody detection were 84.21/95.83% and 94.73/100%, respectively, with a good strength of agreement. SPRCA had 50% sensitivity and 100% specificity in HPA antibody detection compare to flow cytometry. Flow cytometry appeared to be the most sensitive technique compared with SPRCA and LCT for both HPA and HLA antibody screening. SPRCA sensitivity was too low for HPA antibody detection, but this might be because of the small number of samples. There was one serum from the mother of a baby suffering neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia (NAIT), in whom SPRCA could not detect HPA antibodies, while flow cytometry came out positive. Therefore, SPRCA should not be used in NAIT investigation and flow cytometry should be employed instead.