Red cell alloimmunization in thalassaemia patients

Abstract EN

Objectives : To determine the frequency of red cell alloantibodies in a thalassaemia patient and to identify the common alloantibodies.

Methods : A retrospective review of blood bank records for all thalassaemia patients.

The records included, request received for blood group typing, antibody screen, antibody identification and cross-matching during the period between October 1st, 1997 to September 30, 2002.

The history of blood transfusion was reviewed and the frequency rate for alloantibodies was determined.

Results : Out of 76 thalassemic patients, nine (11.8 %) had developed alloantibodies.

Alloantibodies detected include: nonspecific antibodies 3 (33.3 %), anti E and nonspecific 2 (22.2 %), anti-K together with non specific antibodies 1 (11.1%), anti-E 1 (11.1%), anti E together with anti K and nonspecific alloantibodes 1 (11.1%), anti-Lea 1 (11.1%).

Conclusion : Red cell alloantibodies developed in 11.8 % of thalassemic patients.

The most common alloantibodies were Rhesus and Kell antibodies, which are present in 33.3 % and 22.2 % of these patients respectively.

Alloimmunization is not an uncommon problem facing blood banks and finding compatible units for regularly transfused thalassemic patients may be very difficult.

In order to reduce alloimmunization a policy for performing extended red cell phenotyping on these