%0 Journal Article
%T Clinically Significant Minor Blood Group Antigens amongst North Indian Donor Population
%A Divjot Singh Lamba
%A Ravneet Kaur
%A Sabita Basu
%J Advances in Hematology
%D 2013
%I Hindawi Publishing Corporation
%R 10.1155/2013/215454
%X Background. Racial differences in blood group antigen distribution are common and may result in striking and interesting findings. These differences in blood group antigen distribution are important due to their influence on the clinical practice of transfusion medicine. Study Design and Methods. This is a prospective study, involving 1000 healthy regular repeat voluntary blood donors associated with the department. The clinically significant minor blood group antigens of these donors were studied. Results. Out of 1000 healthy regular repeat voluntary blood donors, 93% were D positive and 2.8% were K positive. Amongst the Rh antigens, e was the most common (99%), followed by D (93%), C (85.1%), c (62.3%), and E (21.5%). Within the MNS blood group system, antigen frequency was M (88%), N (57.5%), S (57.8%), and s (87.5%). Within the Duffy blood group system, antigen frequency was (87.3%) and (58.3%). Conclusions. This data base will help us to prevent alloimmunisation in young females, pregnant women, and patients who are expected to require repeated transfusions in life by providing them with antigen matched blood. Antigen negative blood can also be made available without delay to already alloimmunized multitransfused patients. 1. Introduction A total of 30 blood group systems are recognized by the International Society of Blood Transfusion (ISBT). Nine blood group systems (ABO, Rhesus, Kell, Kidd, Duffy, MNS, P, Lewis, and Lutheran) are considered to be clinically significant as these are known to cause hemolytic transfusion reactions (HTR) and hemolytic disease of fetus and newborn (HDFN) [1¨C4]. In developing countries like India only ABO and D status of blood donor and recipients are taken into account for compatibility testing. However, the phenotype of clinically significant blood group antigens on the donor red blood cells (RBCs) is required to be known at times when alloimmunization is particularly undesirable, such as in young females, pregnant women, and patients who are expected to require repeated transfusions in life, such as thalassemia or sickle cell disease patients. When selecting blood for transfusion to such patients, it would be useful if we have access to already phenotyped RBCs of donor population so that particular antigen typed blood can be given to such patients to prevent alloimmunization [5]. Furthermore, these are beneficial for already immunized patients if the transfusion is urgent and/or if clinically significant alloantibodies to particular antigen/antigens are present in the patient¡¯s serum. In such situations,
%U http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ah/2013/215454/