The evaluation of a positive direct antiglobulin test (autocontrol) in pretransfusion testing revisited

Direct antiglobulin tests (DATs) using anti-IgG were performed on 65,049 blood samples from prospective transfusion recipients; 3570 tests (5.49%) were positive. Using criteria published previously (primarily excluding patients not transfused within the preceding 14 days), 778 samples from other than neonatal patients were selected for further evaluation. Eluates that did not react were obtained on 518 (66.6%) of these samples. Warm-reactive autoantibodies were apparent in 192 eluates, while 16 contained drug-related antibodies, anti-A or anti-B from prior transfusion with ABO mismatched blood components, or anti-D passively acquired from immune serum globulin. Fifty-two eluates contained alloantibodies; however, in only six of these cases did the corresponding serum lack unexpected alloantibodies, as determined by routine pretransfusion studies. Three additional weakly reactive clinically significant alloantibodies were detected solely through additional serum tests performed on DAT-positive samples. On the basis of these findings, the DAT had a low predictive value when used to detect the early manifestations of an immune response to recently transfused red cells. Elimination of the autocontrol from routine pretransfusion testing, therefore, carries minimal risk to patients yet will undoubtedly contribute to the containment of health care costs. Moreover, the risk is lower than that associated with the elimination of the antiglobulin crossmatch.     

Changes in peripheral blood CD5 (Bla) B-cell populations and autoantibodies following blood transfusion

BACKGROUND: CD5 B cells and the natural autoantibodies they produce play a role in antigen presentation, tolerance induction, and maintenance of an idiotypic immune network. The effects of transfusion on autoantibodies and peripheral blood CD5 B cells were studied. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Eight previously transfused patients with sickle cell anemia and five patients who underwent orthopedic surgical procedures with transfusion were enrolled in the study. Patients in both groups received 1 to 2 units of allogeneic packed red cells. Ten untransfused healthy adults and five patients who underwent orthopedic surgery without transfusion were enrolled as controls. Peripheral blood CD5 B cells, serum levels of IgM, antinuclear antibodies, rheumatoid factor, and anticardiolipin IgM were quantitated either at the beginning of the study (baseline sample), before transfusion, or before surgery and either at 1-, 2-, 4-, 6-, and 8-week intervals after transfusion, after surgery, or after the baseline sample was obtained. RESULTS: IgM levels and the absolute number of B cells that coexpressed CD5 rose to twice pretransfusion levels in six of eight transfused sickle cell anemia patients and in four of five transfused orthopedic surgery patients. No comparable increases in CD5 B cells were noted in untransfused controls. Preexisting rheumatoid factor and antinuclear antibody levels increased in four of five transfused orthopedic surgery patients. One sickle cell anemia patient developed anti-Fya despite receiving Fya-negative blood. Increasing titers of anti-Fya paralleled the increases in IgM and CD5 B cells after transfusion. One patient who developed a positive direct antiglobulin test after transfusion had large increases in serum anticardiolipin IgM. Anticardiolipin IgM was subsequently eluted from direct antiglobulin test-positive red cells obtained after transfusion. Antibodies with anti-Fya-like activity and anticardiolipin IgM were produced in vitro by CD5 B cells and not by conventional CD5-negative B cells. CONCLUSION: An association was found between transfusion-induced increases in CD5 B cells and increased autoantibody production. These data may have implications for immunologic intervention to prevent the induction of red cell antibodies and other changes in the immune system caused by exposure to foreign antigens via blood transfusion.     

The efficacy of performing red cell elution studies in the pretransfusion testing of patients with positive direct antiglobulin tests

In order to evaluate the efficacy of performing red cell elutions in pretransfusion testing, the serologic records of 638 patients with positive direct antiglobulin tests (DAT) were reviewed. These patients were identified by routine antibody screening procedures that included an autologous control. DAT results on the red cells of these patients showed 279 with IgG and C3d sensitization, 319 with IgG alone, and 40 with C3d sensitization alone. Of 638 patients' red cell eluates, 401 demonstrated no reactivity, 154 demonstrated panagglutination, and 60 demonstrated passively acquired anti-A,B. Only 23 of 638 patients had alloantibody sensitization of their red cells. Of the 23, 19 had serum antibody corresponding to the specificity of antibody detected in the eluate. Thus, only four of 638 (0.6%) eluates gave results unavailable by serum testing alone. This study indicates that routine eluate investigation provides little useful information in assuring compatibility. Serum antibody testing and careful review of the clinical and transfusion history constitute appropriate pretransfusion testing in patients with positive direct antiglobulin tests. Eluate testing should be restricted to cases in which immune hemolysis is suspected clinically.     

Two cases of "hrB-like" autoantibodies appearing as alloantibodies

Two cases are described in which autoantibodies mimicked alloantibodies. The direct antiglobulin test (DAT) on the red cells (RBCs) from both patients was negative when routine manual hexadimethrine bromide (Polybrene) and enzyme-linked antiglobulin techniques were used. The RBCs also did not react on direct bromelin and direct Polybrene tests. However, an "hrB-like" antibody was eluted from the RBCs of both patients. The sera from these patients reacted with all e+ hrB+ RBCs but not with e+ hrB-, e-, or their own RBCs. The antibody in the serum of one patient was not adsorbed by R2R2 RBCs. Serologic tests initially suggested (by direct testing and adsorption studies) that the serum antibodies were alloantibodies rather than autoantibodies. RBCs taken from one patient, 8 months after her sample was first referred to our laboratory, reacted with a serum sample from her first admission. An RBC sample taken from the other patient, initially typed e+ and hrB- but 1 month later typed e+ and hrB+ by using the same anti-hrB sera, was used to test the earlier samples.     

凝胶微柱法与试管法检测放散液中抗体的比较

目的比较凝胶微柱法和试管法检测红细胞释放液抗体的能力。方法将30例外周血和41例脐血红细胞用两种方法测定直接抗人球蛋白试验(DAT)并进行酸放散,将放散液与三种谱细胞、A1、B细胞反应检测抗体的特异性。71例中12例作为阴性对照样本(DAT均为阴性),其中6例为健康献血者外周血,6例为不发生新生儿溶血病(Heamolytic disease of thenewborn,HDN)的婴儿脐血样本。结果24例外周血放散液中有10例两种方法均阳性,12例均为阴性,2例自身免疫性溶血性贫血(AIHA)患者样本凝胶微柱法阳性而试管凝集法阴性,6例健康捐献者的样本DAT试验阴性且两种方法检测放散液均为阴性;41例脐血样本中33例放散液两种方法均反应,2例放散液在试管法中与A1和B细胞反应而同样的放散液做凝胶微柱法时一个和A1细胞反应,另一个只与B细胞反应。结论两种方法检测放散液结果基本是一致的,检测AIHA患者红细胞释放液抗体时用微柱法比较好,检测脐血细胞释放的同种血凝素时试管凝集法更好—些。     

Comparison of a manual hexadimethrine bromide-antiglobulin test with saline- and albumin-antiglobulin tests for pretransfusion testing

A prospective double-blind study compared a manual hexadimethrine bromide (Polybrene) antiglobulin antibody detection test (P-AHG) and crossmatch with the albumin-antiglobulin antibody detection test and saline-antiglobulin crossmatch routinely used in our laboratory. A total of 10,084 pretransfusion blood samples from approximately 6000 patients were tested. The P-AHG method detected 153 of 157 alloantibodies for which antigen-negative, crossmatch-compatible blood is routinely provided. All four antibodies not detected were anti-K. The routine techniques detected 147 of the 157 alloantibodies. The P-AHG method detected only 36 percent of the alloantibodies for which crossmatch-compatible blood is routinely provided without determination of the antigen status of the donor unit's red cells (e.g., anti-Lea), whereas the routine method detected 91 percent of such antibodies. Eighty-six percent of the 189 alloantibodies detected by the Polybrene technique were found before the addition of antiglobulin. The manual Polybrene test is a rapid and sensitive technique; it may be used without an antiglobulin phase as a routine crossmatch procedure when accompanied by a sensitive antibody detection test that includes antiglobulin and an additional test to ensure ABO compatibility.     

Removing IgG antibodies from intact red cells: comparison of acid and EDTA, heat, and chloroquine elution methods

BACKGROUND: To accurately phenotype red cell from patients with a positive direct antiglobulin test (DAT), nonlytic elution procedures were assessed for their ability to dissociate IgG from antibody-coated red cells without altering red cell antigen expression. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Antibodies coating red cells that were sensitized in vivo (warm-reactive autoantibodies: 8 patients) or in vitro (42 alloantibodies) were eluted by using glycine-HCl and EDTA (acid/ EDTA), heat (56 degrees C, 10 min), or chloroquine method. RESULTS: Acid/EDTA elution gave the best results, reducing DAT positivity to microscopic levels or rendering the DAT negative in 48 of 50 instances, whereas 4 samples remained resistant to heat elution and 24 to chloroquine. Standard DAT agglutination scores demonstrated that both acid/EDTA and heat elution were superior to the chloroquine method (p < 0.0001). With the gel low-ionic-strength saline indirect antiglobulin test, acid/ EDTA was superior to heat (p < 0.001). Overall, acid/ EDTA elution dissociated more antibodies than heat (p < 0.0001), especially for Kell system (K, k, Kpa, Kpb) alloantibodies. Common red cell antigens, other than Kell system antigens, were unaffected by acid/EDTA elution. In contrast, the expression of most blood group antigens was diminished after heat elution. However, it was possible to type red cell antigens by using gel low-ionic-strength saline indirect antiglobulin tests or tube agglutination methods. CONCLUSION: Although heat elution may be used on a limited basis, the acid/EDTA method appears to be the procedure of choice for typing red cell coated with warm-reactive IgG alloantibodies or autoantibodies.     

Lack of clinical significance of "enzyme-only" red cell alloantibodies

In a retrospective study on samples from 10,000 recently transfused patients, 35 samples were found to contain an antibody that reacted with ficin-treated red cells but was not demonstrable by low-ionic- strength saline solution and indirect antiglobulin test (LISS-IAT). In those 35 patients, the specificity of the antibody was such that each patient would have been transfused with antigen-negative blood had the antibody reacted in LISS-IAT. Tests on red cells from the units already transfused showed that 19 patients had among them received, by chance, 32 antigen-positive and 74 antigen-negative units. The remaining 16 patients had among them received 57 units that were, again by chance, all antigen negative. One patient given antigen-positive blood suffered a delayed transfusion reaction; in two others the antibodies became LISS-IAT active after transfusion. However, similar changes to the LISS- IAT-active state were seen with two antibodies of patients given only antigen-negative blood. Also found in the 10,000 patients were 28 clinically insignificant antibodies, 77 sera in which the antibody was too weak to identify, and 216 autoantibodies that reacted only with ficin-treated red cells. These data support a belief, generally held in the United States but not necessarily elsewhere, that the use of protease-treated red cells for routine pretransfusion tests creates far more work than the accrued benefits justify.     

Hypergammaglobulinemia can be associated with a positive direct antiglobulin test, a nonreactive eluate, and no evidence of hemolysis

To determine the cause of a positive direct antiglobulin test (DAT), blood banks routinely perform serologic tests on eluates prepared from DAT-positive red cells. Negative eluates traditionally have been suspected to be associated with drug reactions. This report confirms that the most frequent cause of a positive DAT and a nonreactive eluate is hypergammaglobulinemia. The results of 74 patient samples with positive DATs were analyzed retrospectively. Eluates prepared from the red cells of 54 patients (72.9%) reacted; eluates from 20 patients (27.1%) did not react. This latter group had identical serologic and clinical findings, suggesting that they made up a homogeneous group. In particular, the patients had a positive DAT, a negative indirect antiglobulin test, and a negative eluate; an increased serum concentration of IgG; and no evidence of hemolysis. In a subsequent study, DATs were performed prospectively on red cells from 44 consecutive patients with elevated serum IgG levels. The serum IgG concentration was highest in the three patients whose red cells had a positive DAT. The DAT also became positive in two patients treated with high-dose intravenous gammaglobulin (IV IgG). These studies indicate that a negative eluate from red cells with a positive DAT, a common serologic finding, is often caused by hypergammaglobulinemia. The authors postulate that IgG binds nonspecifically to the red cells because of the hypergammaglobulinemia.     

Comparison of conventional tube test technique and gel microcolumn assay for direct antiglobulin test: a large study

Gel microcolumn assay (GMA) is a modified serological technique that has been used for ABO and Rh typing, direct antiglobulin test (DAT), detecting alloantibodies, red cell phenotyping, and other applications. However, for DAT, the role of GMA is controversial. The purpose of this large study was to compare the performance of the conventional tube test (CTT) to GMA for detecting potentially significant antibodies coating red blood cells in vivo. From January 1996 to May 2002, we performed DATs by GMA and CTT on 9,862 blood samples submitted to our reference laboratory, using LISS/Coombs cards (DiaMed-Latino America, Lagoa Santa-MG, Brazil) for GMA and polyspecific and monospecific anti-IgG reagents for CTT. Acid eluates were prepared from all positive DAT samples. The specificity of eluates was determined by GMA. We detected nonconcordant results in 2,079 out of 3,163 positive DATs (65.7%). All of these tests were only positive in GMA. Sensitivity and specificity for DATs was 100% and 83.0% for gel, and 50.7% and 97.8% for tube, respectively. Based on this study GMA showed to be more sensitive than CTT for detecting potentially significant antibodies coating red blood cells in vivo.     

Frequency of delayed hemolytic transfusion reactions following antibody screening and immediate-spin crossmatching

In view of the continuing controversy regarding the use of immediate-spin crossmatch procedures in preparing blood for transfusion to patients in whom unexpected clinically significant antibodies have not been found by antibody screening by the indirect antiglobulin test (IAT), a review of 8 years' experience with such a policy was conducted. In that period, 54,725 units of packed red cells or whole blood were transfused to 10,146 patients. Four clinically overt delayed hemolytic transfusion reactions and 18 clinically silent delayed serologic transfusion reactions were found. In 3 of the 22 patients, the offending antibody(ies) were detectable in the pretransfusion serum by an enzyme IAT, but none was detectable by routine saline IAT against either a three-cell screening panel or the transfused cells. Thus, the incorporation of saline indirect antiglobulin crossmatch would not have prevented the delayed reactions. It can be concluded that the use of a saline indirect antiglobulin crossmatch offers no significant advantage over the current policy of using only immediate-spin crossmatch for those patients whose pretransfusion serum gives negative results in a three-cell screen using a saline IAT.     

Detection of antibodies in acid eluates with the gel microcolumn assay

BACKGROUND: Gel microcolumns can be used to detect unexpected serum antibodies and to determine ABO blood group and Rh phenotype. DATs can also be performed with this system. The purpose of this study was to compare the gel microcolumn to the tube IAT using anti-IgG for the detection of antibodies eluted from RBCs. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Acid eluates were prepared from 30 peripheral blood and 41 umbilical cord blood samples. Twelve of the 71 eluates made were from control samples (known DAT negative). Specificities of eluted antibodies were determined by both tube and gel assays with a three-cell screen plus A1 and B cells, as determined by blood type. RESULTS: Ten of 30 peripheral blood eluates were reactive in both assays. Eighteen were nonreactive in both assays, and two from patients with autoimmune hemolytic anemia were reactive by gel assays and nonreactive by tube assays. Thirty three of the 41 cord blood eluates were reactive in both assays. Eluates from 2 of the 35 DAT-positive samples reacted with A1 and B cells by the tube method but were nonreactive by the gel method. Of the 33 cord blood eluates that were reactive by both assays, antibody specificity differed for two samples. When tested by tube assay, these eluates reacted with both A1 and B cells, whereas the same eluates tested by gel assay showed one reacting with only A1 cells and the other with only B cells. CONCLUSIONS: Results of testing eluates in gel assays were similar to those obtained in tube assays. The gel assays may be better at detecting antibodies eluted from RBCs from patients with autoimmune hemolytic anemia, and tube assays may be better at detecting isohemagglutinins eluted from umbilical cord blood.     

Incidence of antibody formation and positive direct antiglobulin tests in a multitransfused hemodialysis population

In order to determine the degree and significance of red cell antibody production by dialysis patients, two groups of patients were studied retrospectively. One hundred and five randomly selected dialysis patients (Group I) receiving a total of 1074 units of blood were reviewed, as were 38 patients who were given frozen-thawed red cells because of intractable nonhemolytic febrile reactions following transfusions of red cells stored conventionally (Group II). Eleven patients in Group I produced alloantibodies: nine after the start of dialysis. Of these, two patients had antibodies that were judged clinically insignificant. Eleven of 38 patients in Group II had red cell alloantibodies at the time of study, four of which were judged clinically significant. The direct antiglobulin test (DAT) was positive in 14 patients in Group I and eight patients in Group II for an overall percentage of 15. The cause of the positive DAT was determined in eluates for 26 percent of the cases studied. Clinically significant antibodies were produced by 6.7 percent of randomly selected dialysis patients (Group I). This incidence is lower than other chronically transfused patient populations reported, but higher than that reported in transfused patients at large. The incidence of positive DATs was higher than in some populations reported but not others.     

The role of the elution in antibody investigations

BACKGROUND: The direct antiglobulin test (DAT) commonly detects immunoglobulin G (IgG) molecules or complement fragments on the red blood cell (RBC) surface. If IgG antibodies are present then elution procedures can be performed to identify the specificity of these antibodies. Our reference laboratory performs elutions on the RBCs of those patients who have received cellular blood products in the past 30 days and have either a newly identified positive DAT with anti-IgG or the agglutination strength is increased over a previous DAT and if ordered by a clinician regardless of transfusion history. This study questioned how frequently elutions contributed novel serologic information under our reference laboratory's current policy or whether elutions should be performed in more selective serologic conditions.
STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Recipients whose RBCs underwent eluate testing were identified from the blood bank's database and information about the antecedent DAT and antibody detection test and eluate was recorded.
RESULTS: In total 648 eluates were evaluated and 82 of 648 (12.7%) revealed a novel antibody not present in the serum (an informative eluate). In 2 of 82 informative eluates non–anti-A/B alloantibodies that were not present in the serum were detected: one example each of anti-D and anti-E. Both were associated with a microscopically positive antecedent DAT. The rate of an informative eluate was higher when the antibody detection test was negative.
CONCLUSION: The strength of the DAT does not indicate the likelihood of an informative eluate. Performing an eluate when the antibody detection test is positive has limited value.     

Is it necessary to add the eluate testing to the direct antiglobulin test to improve the detection of maternal erythrocyte alloantibodies?

BACKGROUNDThe screening of umbilical cord blood samples by the Direct Antiglobulin Test (DAT) is the reference tool for the identification of maternal erythrocyte alloantibodies present in erythrocytes; however, its diagnostic usefulness is controversial.OBJECTIVETo evaluate the diagnostic validity, safety, and efficiency of the eluate testing (detection of antibody in erythrocyte eluates by the Indirect Antiglobulin Test/IAT) in cord blood samples for detection of maternal erythrocyte alloantibodies in comparison with the DAT.MATERIALS AND METHODSEvaluation study of diagnostic tests. DAT and eluate testing were performed in 306 cord blood samples from neonates born to mothers admitted at Clínica Somer in Rionegro, Colombia; then, antibodies present in the eluates were identified with erythrocyte panels. Percentage of positive results by DAT and IAT were compared with the Pearson's chi-square test and the agreement between both assays with the Cohen's kappa coefficient. The diagnostic sensitivity, specificity, safety, and efficiency of the eluate testing were calculated, taking into account the use of DAT as an imperfect reference test.RESULTSThe DAT detected alloantibodies in 6.21% of samples and the eluate testing in 14.1 %; the strength of agreement between both tests was moderate (k = 0.56) due to 25 discrepancies. The eluate testing showed sensitivity and specificity of 98.83 % and 92.31 % respectively, and a negative predictive value of 99.9 %. The diagnostic efficiency was sufficient for detection of maternal erythrocyte alloantibodies. The antibodies identified in the erythrocyte eluates were anti-A or anti-B (79.5 %), anti-D (136%), anti-C (2,3%), and anti-Fya (2,3%).CONCLUSIONThe eluate testing in cord blood samples is a valid, safe, and efficient test for the diagnosis of maternal erythrocyte alloantibodies.     

Prophylactic antigen-matched donor blood for patients with warm autoantibodies: an algorithm for transfusion management

BACKGROUND: Patients with warm autoantibodies are at high risk for delayed hemolytic transfusion reactions due to the presence of alloantibodies. To provide blood safe for transfusion and to avoid adsorption studies in some cases, the provision of prophylactic antigen-matched donor blood where feasible for patients with warm autoantibodies is advocated. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Twenty consecutive adult patients with warm autoantibodies (January 1999 to February 2000) received chronic RBC transfusions by use of this protocol: the serology consistent with warm autoantibodies was confirmed; the alloantibodies were identified; the complete phenotype was determined (i.e., C, E, c, e, K, Jk(a), Jk(b), Fy(a), Fy(b), S, and s); and prophylactic antigen-matched (i.e., donor RBCs matched with the patient's phenotype), WBC-reduced donor RBCs were provided for transfusion. On subsequent admissions, samples were evaluated by panel studies and DATs. If the serology remained consistent with previous findings, prophylactic antigen-matched, WBC-reduced RBCs were transfused without further testing. RESULTS: Eight of 20 (40%) patients had existing, clinically significant alloantibodies. In 12 of 20 (60%) patients, a phenotype was determined and the patients received transfusion of a total of 149 prophylactic antigen-matched RBC units (mean, 15 units per patient) precluding adsorption studies on 51 pretransfusion samples. In 8 of 20 (40%) cases (2 with alloantibodies), phenotypes were indeterminant, necessitating differential allogeneic adsorption studies on 39 samples before transfusion of 144 RBC units (mean, 18 units per patient). CONCLUSIONS: Determining complete phenotypes should be a routine component of the serologic evaluation of patients with warm autoantibodies. Our algorithm for providing prophylactic antigen-matched RBCs to these patients when a complete phenotype can be determined provides flexibility in their transfusion management while maintaining safety and circumvents or simplifies pretransfusion adsorption studies.     

Resolution of red cell compatibility testing problems in patients receiving anti-lymphoblast or anti-thymocyte globulin

Passively acquired hemagglutinating antibodies may be detected in the serum of patients receiving horse anti-lymphoblast globulin (ALG) or anti-thymocyte globulin (ATG). Thirty-seven patients receiving ALG following renal transplantation were studied. Eight patients monitored daily all developed positive direct antiglobulin tests (DAT) and positive red cell antibody screening tests. Fifteen of 32 recipients developed red cell antibodies reactive at room temperature in saline, 4 of 32 in albumin at 37 degrees C, and 33 of 37 in the antiglobulin test. Horse globulin was detected on the red cells of all six recipients tested with rabbit anti-horse globulin. Ether eluates prepared from the red cells of 20 patients showed no specificity for common red cell antigens. Anti-human globulin (AHG), absorbed with ALG- coated red cells to remove the component in the AHG which was crossreacting with horse globulin, was used successfully for antibody screening and identification, direct antiglobulin testing, and/or the antiglobulin crossmatching of 27 ALG and ATG recipients, including five with red cell alloantibodies.     

Prevalence of HLA antibodies in transfused patients with and without red cell antibodies

BACKGROUND: Multiply transfused patients are at increased risk of developing red cell (RBC) antibodies, as well as antibodies to HLA. Although pretransfusion testing screens for RBC antibodies, no such testing is routinely performed for HLA antibodies. Determining which patients are more likely to make HLA antibodies may be important for patients undergoing elective surgery where platelets (PLTs) may be required. It is hypothesized that patients with RBC alloantibodies may be more likely to have HLA antibodies than previously transfused patients without RBC antibodies. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Blood was collected from 53 adult male surgical patients with RBC alloantibodies and a control group of 69 similar male patients with a history of previous transfusions but no evidence of RBC alloimmunization. The samples were tested for the presence of immunoglobulin G Class I HLA antibodies by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: Of the 53 samples from patients with RBC alloantibodies, 12 (22.6%) also had HLA antibodies, whereas only 7 (10.1%) of the 69 patients in the control group had HLA antibodies (p < 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: There is a significant difference between the rates of HLA alloimmunization in male patients with RBC antibodies versus multiply transfused patients without RBC antibodies. Screening for HLA antibodies may be warranted in patients with RBC alloantibodies who might require PLT transfusion support for elective surgery.     

Delayed hemolytic episodes due to anti-M

We observed three cases in which anti-M, undetectable in pretransfusion serum, was responsible for accelerated hemolysis of crossmatch- compatible red blood cells 5 to 15 days after transfusion. In each case, the direct antiglobulin test, which had been negative on pretransfusion testing, was weakly positive on the posttransfusion sample. Anti-M was identified in both the serum and eluate from the posttransfusion sample in two cases. In the third, anti-M could be identified only in the posttransfusion serum. Hemolysis was mild, and was not clinically suspected in any of these three patients until blood was requested for further transfusion. In one of the cases, the antibody was undetectable within a few weeks after the hemolytic episode. Destruction of transfused red blood cells by newly synthesized alloantibodies, particularly those of the Kidd system, is a familiar phenomenon to blood bankers. It is apparent from these studies that anti-M also can behave in this fashion.     

Use of polyethylene glycol for performing autologous adsorptions

BACKGROUND: Our reference adsorption procedure is to autoadsorb serum with ZZAP-pretreated patients' red cells (RBCs), although it is time-consuming. The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of polyethylene glycol (PEG) for performing autologous adsorption procedures without pretreatment of patients' RBCs. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Equal volumes of patient's plasma, patient's RBCs, and PEG were mixed. This mixture was incubated for 15 minutes at 37 degrees C, and the adsorbed plasma-PEG mixture was immediately harvested to proceed to the antiglobulin test with anti-immunoglobulin G. The ZZAP-adsorption procedure was performed in our reference laboratory. RESULTS: Thirty-one samples were detected with warm autoantibodies in pretransfusion testing. A total number of 58 autologous adsorption procedures were performed with PEG in 870 minutes (mean, 28 min) and alloantibodies were detected in 4 (13%) cases (anti-E in 2 cases and anti-E + K in 2 cases). Our reference laboratory performed a total number of 61 adsorption procedures with ZZAP in 3660 minutes (mean, 118 min) and detected the same alloantibodies specificities. CONCLUSION: The PEG autologous adsorption procedure is an efficient method of enhancing autoantibody adsorption and alloantibody detection and decreasing the labor-intensive testing required by the presence of serum warm autoantibodies in pretransfusion samples.