The Frequency of Unexpected Antibodies by Using Two Micro-column Agglutination Systems: DiaMed-ID and Ortho BioVue Systems

Yoo, Byong Joon; Cho, Chi Hyun; Yun, Seung Gyu; Kim, Ha Nui; Choi, Gae Ryung; Kim, Jang Su; Lee, Chang Kyu; Cho, Yoon jung; Kim, Young Kee; Lee, Kap No; Lim, Chae Seung

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Unexpected antibody screening and identification tests are very important for safe blood transfusion. The micro-column agglutination test (MCAT) is widely used due to its simplicity and efficiency for detecting alloantibodies. We analyzed the frequency of unexpected antibodies at three university hospital blood banks, which use two different MCAT systems.
METHODS
From February 2002 to December 2009, a total of 295,876 unexpected antibody screening tests were performed at three university hospital blood banks. Two hospital blood banks (Anam and Ansan Hospitals) used the DiaMed-ID system (DiaMed Ag, Switzerland) and the other (Guro Hospital) used the Ortho BioVue system (Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics, USA) for antibody screening and identification tests.
RESULTS
The rates of detecting unexpected antibodies on screening test based on the 'tests performed' and the 'persons tested' were 1.16% per test and 0.96% per person in Korea University Guro Hospital, 0.65% and 0.41% in Korea University Anam Hospital and 0.76% and 0.57% in Korea University Ansan hospital, respectively. There were significant differences in the frequencies based on the two different systems (P<0.001). Among the warm antibodies, Rh antibodies were more frequently detected by the DiaMed-ID system, and Lewis antibodies were most frequently detected by the Ortho BioVue System.
CONCLUSION
We should carefully interpretate the frequency of unexpected antibodies in the Korean population because the frequencies of unexpected antibodies are different according to different employed micro-column agglutination systems.