Ann Lab Med.  2013 Sep;33(5):343-348. 10.3343/alm.2013.33.5.343.

Autoantibodies with Mimicking Specificity Detected by the Dilution Technique in Patients with Warm Autoantibodies

• Jang MJ
• Cho D
• Park KU
• Yazer MH
• Shin MG
• Shin JH
• Suh SP
• Ryang DW

• KMID: 1781339
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3343/alm.2013.33.5.343

Abstract

BACKGROUND
The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency of autoantibodies with mimicking specificity by using the dilution technique, to assess the usefulness of the combination of the dilution technique and red blood cell (RBC) phenotyping, and to establish a pre-transfusion testing algorithm in patients with warm autoantibodies.
METHODS
Serum samples from 71 patients with warm autoantibodies were tested using the dilution technique. Among them, 25 samples were adsorbed with allogeneic ZZAP (a combination of dithiothreitol and enzyme) or polyethylene glycol (PEG) and their RBC phenotypes were determined. Thirty-nine patients were transfused with our pre-transfusion testing algorithm using a combination of dilution technique and RBC phenotyping.
RESULTS
Autoantibodies with mimicking specificity were detected by the dilution technique in 26.8% (19/71) of the patients and most of them were directed against Rh system antigens. The agreement of the results obtained with the dilution technique in combination with RBC phenotyping and those from ZZAP or PEG adsorption was 100% (18/18) in patients who have autoantibodies with mimicking specificity and/or alloantibodies. No clinical symptoms indicating severe acute or delayed hemolytic transfusion reactions were reported in the 39 patients transfused with our pre-transfusion testing algorithm.
CONCLUSIONS
Autoantibodies with mimicking specificity detected by the dilution technique in patients with warm autoantibodies are relatively frequent, can be discriminated from alloantibodies by employing a combination of dilution technique and RBC phenotyping, and might not appear to cause severe acute or delayed hemolytic transfusion reactions.

Keyword

Autoantibody; Dilution technique; Mimicking specificity

MeSH Terms

Adolescent
Adsorption
Adult
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Algorithms
Antibody Specificity
Autoantibodies/*blood
Child
Erythrocytes/cytology/metabolism
Female
Humans
*Indicator Dilution Techniques
Isoantibodies/blood
Male
Middle Aged
Phenotype
Polyethylene Glycols/chemistry
Temperature
Young Adult
Autoantibodies
Isoantibodies
Polyethylene Glycols

Figure

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  Fig. 1 Red cell transfusion workflow in 71 patients having warm autoantibodies evaluated with the combination of dilution technique and red cell phenotyping.

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