The rare Lu:-6 phenotype in Israel and the clinical significance of anti-Lu6.
BACKGROUND
Lu6 is a high-incidence antigen of the Lutheran blood group. Examples of anti-Lu6 are rare and are of uncertain clinical significance.


METHODS
Three patients were encountered in whom anti-Lu6 was detected on pretransfusion screening. The patients were all Iranian Jews and were not known to be related. In vitro studies to ascertain the potential clinical significance of the antibody using the monocyte monolayer assay (MMA) were negative in two patients. The third patient received a two-unit transfusion of incompatible Lu6 RBCs with no signs of hemolysis. However, after the transfusion, the MMA and a chemiluminescence test were positive, whereas a chromium survival study was normal. Thus, the antibody may have changed in its clinical significance.


CONCLUSIONS
Although anti-Lu6 does not appear to be a clinically significant RBC antibody in all circumstances, transfusion of Lu6 RBCs in patients with anti-Lu6 should be performed cautiously.
Yahalom
Vered
V
National Blood Group Reference Laboratory, Magen David Adom, Tel Hashomer, Israel.
Ellis
Martin H
MH
Poole
Joyce
J
Rahimi-Levene
Naomi
N
Shinar
Eilat
E
DaCosta
Yehudit
Y
Manny
Noga
N
Levene
Cyril
C
D001787:Blood Group Incompatibility; D001788:Blood Grouping and Crossmatching; D017707:Erythrocyte Transfusion; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran / Q000208:ethnology; D007518:Isoantibodies / Q000097:blood*; D007557:Israel; D008188:Lutheran Blood-Group System / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010641:Phenotype
D007518:Isoantibodies; D008188:Lutheran Blood-Group System