Erythrocyte Autoantibody Positivity in Serological Cross-matching

Objective: To investigate the erythrocyte autoantibody positivity detected in the serological cross-matching (XM), and its possible effects on salient hemogram parameters. Study Design: A descriptive study. Place and Duration of Study: Balikesir Ataturk City Hospital's Blood Transfusion Centre, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology and Reanimation, Balikesir University, Turkey, from 2017 to 2018. Methodology: Erythrocyte autoantibody positivity, which was detected in the traditional serological cross-matching for a pre-transfusion laboratory test were analysed retrospectively. Later, hemogram changes in the previous (no erythrocyte autoantibodies) and following (erythrocyte autoantibodies present) transfusions were investigated using statistical methods. Results: Erythrocyte autoantibody positivity rate was 10.16% (342/3,365). There was no statistically significant difference in the increase of hemoglobin, hematocrit, and red blood cell between the period when erythrocyte autoantibodies were detected or not, (p = 0.27, 0.13, and 0.09, respectively). Conclusion: Erythrocyte autoantibodies positivity found on routine cross-match exmination, which must be considered together with parameters such as previous transfusion history, other pre-transfusion laboratory test results, and clinical presentation and management. Key Words: Transfusion, Erythrocye autoantibody, Alloantibody, Hemogram, Cross-matching.