A survey of the incidence of Miltenberger antibodies among Hong Kong Chinese blood donors.
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.
Mak
K H
KH
Hong Kong Red Cross Blood Transfusion Service.
Banks
J A
JA
Lubenko
A
A
Chua
K M
KM
Torres de Jardine
A L
AL
Yan
K F
KF
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
D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D007518:Isoantibodies; D007983:Lewis Blood Group Antigens; D008951:MNSs Blood-Group System