Application of a Microtitre Plate Antiglobulin Technique to Determine the Incidence of Donors Lacking High Frequency Antigens

Approximately 65,000 random blood donors have been screened by a microtitre low ionic strength saline antiglobulin technique over a 12-month period. Antisera to high frequency antigens including: Vel, Lub, k, Kpb, Yta and Era were used. Additional sera including: anti-Lan, -Coa, -Sc1 and an antibody to an unidentified high frequency antigen, Mrs C.A., have been used as they became available. This has enabled the approximate frequencies of donors lacking the corresponding antigen, to be calculated.