title: A survey of the incidence of Miltenberger antibodies among Hong Kong Chinese blood donors.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The ready availability of red cells of the Miltenberger (Mi) class III phenotype (6.28%) prompted the study of Mi antibodies among Chinese blood donors in Hong Kong, 98 percent of whom are descended from inhabitants of Guangdong Province in southern China.
  
  
  METHODS
  Red cells of the Mi class III phenotype were used to conduct a survey of the frequency of Miltenberger antibodies in 56,161 random Chinese blood donors, over a period of 12 months, using a microplate technique.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sera from 32 donors (0.057%) were found to contain Mi antibodies: sera from 22 contained anti-Mur + Hut; sera from 4 contained anti-Vw + Mur + Hut; sera from 4 had monospecific anti-Mur; and sera from 2 had monospecific anti-Hil. The immunoglobulin isotypes of 24 sera were mixtures of IgM and IgG, 4 were pure IgM, and 4 were pure IgG.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The majority of Mi antibodies detected were naturally occurring. This survey proved useful for mass screening of random donors for the procurement of valuable Mi antisera.
authors.affiliation: Hong Kong Red Cross Blood Transfusion Service.
authors.forename: K H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Mak
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Banks
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lubenko
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Chua
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Torres de Jardine
authors.forename: K F
authors.initials: KF
authors.lastname: Yan
mesh_terms: D001782:Blood Donors; D002681:China / Q000208:ethnology; D005260:Female; D006239:Haplotypes; D006723:Hong Kong; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood; D007518:Isoantibodies / Q000097:blood*; D007983:Lewis Blood Group Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D008951:MNSs Blood-Group System / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male
chemical_list: D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D007518:Isoantibodies; D007983:Lewis Blood Group Antigens; D008951:MNSs Blood-Group System