The prevalence of immunization to Duffy antigens in a population of known racial distribution.
A retrospective study at our hospital determined the race or ethnicity of patients seen in an 8-year period who had formed antibodies to Duffy antigens. During that time, 9876 serologic investigations had been performed as a result of a positive direct or indirect antiglobulin test. Among these samples, sera from 45 previously transfused or pregnant patients contained anti-Fya and two contained anti-Fy3. Twenty-nine of the sera that contained anti-Fya (62%) were from blacks, 12 (25%) were from whites, and 6 (13%) were from Hispanics. Both examples of anti-Fy3 were made by black patients. Red cells (RBCs) from 21 of the black patients were Fy(a-b-), those from 7 were Fy(a-b+), and those from 1 could not be phenotyped. RBCs from 17 of the non-black patients were Fy(a-b+) and those from 1 could not be phenotyped. The population of transfused patients evaluated in this study was 47 percent black, 29 percent white, and 24 percent Hispanic. Calculations based on an expected Fy(a-) frequency of 88 percent in blacks, 33 percent in whites, and 20 percent in Hispanics predict that the racial makeup of the Fy(a-) population at our hospital would be 73 percent black, 18 percent white, and 9 percent Hispanic, which is not significantly different (p = 0.25) from the racial makeup of the patients forming anti-Fya and -Fy3. These data indicate that blacks make antibodies to Duffy antigens as frequently as non-blacks.
Sosler
S D
SD
Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, University of Illinois, Chicago.
Perkins
J T
JT
Fong
K
K
Saporito
C
C
D044383:Black People; D001789:Blood Group Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D001788:Blood Grouping and Crossmatching; D001803:Blood Transfusion / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004375:Duffy Blood-Group System / Q000276:immunology*; D004899:Erythroblastosis, Fetal / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007518:Isoantibodies / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008297:Male; D010641:Phenotype; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000276:immunology; D044469:Racial Groups; D012306:Risk; D065227:Transfusion Reaction; D014481:United States; D044465:White People; D001741:Black or African American
D001789:Blood Group Antigens; D004375:Duffy Blood-Group System; D007518:Isoantibodies