title: Red cell alloantibodies in patients with thalassemia.
abstract: We present the results of tests carried out to detect alloimmunization against red cells in 1,200 patients (607 males and 593 females), transfused and followed up during the period 1981-1987 in our hospital. Of these patients, 1,135 were thalassemic and 65 had sickle cell/beta-thalassemia. In 162 patients who received blood matched for the AB0, rhesus and Kell systems from their first transfusion, the immunization rate was very low (3.7%). In a pilot group consisting of 83 patients with the same clinical characteristics, who received blood matched only for the AB0 and Rh-D antigens, there was a significant difference in the frequency of alloantibodies (15.7%, p less than 0.001). Of 1,038 patients who received blood only matched for AB0 and Rh-D 244 (23.5%) with one or more red cell alloantibodies were identified. Of these 1,038 patients, 973 were exclusively thalassemic. In 220 (22.6%) of them, alloantibodies were found. The sickle cell beta-thalassemia patients presented alloantibodies with a higher frequency (36.9%, 24/65). Only one antibody was found in 114 patients (51.8%) and two or more in 106 patients (48.2%). The alloimmunization significantly concerned the rhesus (34.0%) and Kell (29.8%) systems. Anti-Kell was most often identified (28.5%). Alloimmunization appears considerably lower in patients in whom blood transfusion is started before the age of 3 than in those in whom it is started after that age (20.9 vs. 47.5%, p less than 0.0001).
authors.affiliation: Blood Transfusion Center, Faculty of Medicine at Aghia Sophia Children's Hospital, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Spanos
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Karageorga
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ladis
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Peristeri
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hatziliami
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kattamis
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D001788:Blood Grouping and Crossmatching; D001803:Blood Transfusion; D002648:Child; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007518:Isoantibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D013789:Thalassemia / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology* / Q000628:therapy
chemical_list: D007518:Isoantibodies