Chloramphenicol-dependent antibody: a case report.
BACKGROUND
Chloramphenicol-dependent antibodies are a rare cause of interference in pretransfusion serologic testing. Their presence can be confirmed by the testing of red cells in both the presence and absence of chloramphenicol.


METHODS
A 29-year-old, group A, Rh-positive man with no history of chloramphenicol exposure was found to have a chloramphenicol-dependent panagglutinin in his serum. The antibody was IgM with a titer of 8. It showed no blood group specificity when tested with common and rare red cell phenotypes, and it failed to react with platelets and granulocytes. Confirmation attempts using a chloramphenicol sodium succinate solution as the cell-suspending medium led to negative results. The antibody reacted serologically only in the presence of chloramphenicol, which arises from the succinate derivative by the action of blood esterases.


CONCLUSIONS
This case is an additional example of a chloramphenicol-dependent antibody. It demonstrates how the laboratory investigation of drug-related phenomena is dependent on testing the drug from that reacts in vivo.
Fried
M R
MR
Blood Bank, University of Minnesota Hospital and Clinic, Minneapolis, USA.
Scofield
T L
TL
Stroncek
D F
DF
Swanson
J L
JL
D000328:Adult; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002701:Chloramphenicol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005188:False Negative Reactions; D006801:Humans; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D002701:Chloramphenicol