Red blood cell alloimmunization and minor red blood cell antigen phenotypes in transfused Ghanaian patients with sickle cell disease.

Boateng, Lilian, Campbell, Andrew D, Davenport, Robertson D, Osei-Akoto, Alex, Hugan, Sheri, Asamoah, Akwasi and Schonewille, Henk (2019) 'Red blood cell alloimmunization and minor red blood cell antigen phenotypes in transfused Ghanaian patients with sickle cell disease.'. Transfusion, Vol 59, Issue 6, pp. 2016-2022.

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Abstract

BACKGROUND
The routine pretransfusion investigations in Southern Ghana involve only ABO-D blood group typing and ABO compatibility testing without screening for irregular red blood cell (RBC) antibodies. The prevalence and specificities of RBC antibodies and frequencies of most minor blood group antigens in transfused patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) in Ghana are not known and are the objectives of this study.
STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS
This was a cross-sectional study that investigated transfused patients with SCD for the presence of irregular RBC antibodies and Rhesus, Kell, Duffy, Kidd, and Ss antigens.

RESULTS
From a total of 154 patients (median age, 9 years), 10 patients (6.5%) possessed 13 antibodies, predominantly against D, C, and E antigens. In three patients, the antibodies (anti-D, anti-D + C, and anti-C + e) were against antigens they possessed by serology. Genotyping showed that two of these patients had variant RHCE genes that encode for weak and partial e antigens and one patient had a partial RHC gene. Frequencies of most RBC antigens were comparable with frequencies established among the African American population; however, K-k- and Jk(a-b-) phenotypes were more frequent and were present in 21% and 17% of patients, respectively.

CONCLUSION
The prevalence of RBC alloimmunization in transfused Ghanaian patients with SCD was 6.5% and the majority of antibodies were against antigens of the Rh system. Our findings stress the need to include pretransfusion testing for RBC antibodies in patients with SCD, to improve transfusion safety.

Item Type:	Article
Subjects:	WA Public Health > Health Problems of Special Population Groups > WA 395 Health in developing countries WH Hemic and Lymphatic Systems > Hematologic Diseases. Immunologic Factors. Blood Banks > WH 170 Hemolytic anemia (e.g., Sickle cell anemia) WH Hemic and Lymphatic Systems > WH 20 Research (General)
Faculty: Department:	Clinical Sciences & International Health > International Public Health Department
Digital Object Identifer (DOI):	https://doi.org/10.1111/trf.15197
Depositing User:	Stacy Murtagh
Date Deposited:	12 Mar 2019 16:23
Last Modified:	13 Feb 2020 02:02
URI:	https://archive.lstmed.ac.uk/id/eprint/10369

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