A Patient with RhD(el) (1227G>A) Failed to Produce Detectable Anti-D after Transfusion of RhD Positive Red Blood Cells / 대한수혈학회지

ABSTRACT

Only 0.15% of all donors in Korea are RhD negative, which has led to a chronic shortage of RhD negative blood. Most physicians are aware of the potential for RhD alloimmunization after transfusing RhD+ red blood cells into RhD- patients. Hence, the undertransfusion of RhD- patients might be occurring in Korea. A 66-year-old man without a history of transfusion tested negative for anti-D in his serum. In an emergency situation where RhD- blood was unavailable, the patient received two units of RhD+ RBCs. Anti-D was not detected over three months after the transfusion. The red cells of the patient showed no agglutination with the anti-D reagent and a negative result by the standard weak D test. The polymerase chain reaction-sequence specific primers (PCR-SSP) and sequencing revealed D(el) (1227G>A) in the patient.