Detection of Alloantibodies in Multiple Transfused Recipients using Gel Technology

Allogeneic blood transfusion is a form of temporary transplantation. This procedure introduces a multitude of foreign antigens and living cells into the recipient that will persist for a variable time. A recipient who is immunocompetent often mounts an immune response to the donor antigens, resulting in a variety of clinical consequences depending on the blood cells and specific antigens involved. Delayed hemolytic transfusion reactions usually occur in patients who have been previously sensitize to an antigen through transfusion or pregnancy. They can result in symptomatic or asymptomatic hemolysis several days after a subsequent transfusion due to an anamnestic recall of the antibody. Approximately 0.1–2% of patients who receive transfusions develops anti-RBC antibodies. In patients who are transfused regularly (e.g. patients with sickle cell disease and thalassemia), the frequency of alloimmunization is much higher, affecting 10–38%. A hemolytic transfusion reaction occurs following transfusion of an incompatible blood component. Traditionally, red cell antibody screening and identification are done by agglutination methods in the tube. This study has been undertaken on the multiple transfused recipients selected randomly in the Blood Bank, N.S.C.B. medical College Jabalpur (Madhya Pradesh), for detection of alloantibodies and autoantibodies using gel technology as methodology. The study constitutes various clinically diagnosed patients of thalassemia, sickle cell anemia, acute leukemia, aplastic anemia and severe anemia. The alloantibodies detected were 13/64 (20.3%) and autoantibodies 02/64 (3.1%) by micro typing gel system, auto control was performed for all indirect antiglobulin test (IAT) and direct antiglobulin test (DAT) positive samples. The (P value-0.073) and (P value-0.30) > (P value-0.050) had been calculated for rate of alloimmunization in relation to age and number of transfusions found to insignificant whereas (P value-0.023) < (P value-0.050) was calculated for rate of alloimmunization in clinically diagnosed patient found to be significant. All alloantibodies found to be of Rh and Duffy blood group systems.