title: Indigenous development of antibody screening cell panels at Armed Forces Institute of Transfusion (AFIT).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To prepare good quality screening cells reagent according to the standards, at Armed Forces Institute of Transfusion (AFIT).
  
  
  METHODS
  Random group O donors, seronegative for HBsAg, HCV and HIV were selected if they resided in Rawalpindi or Islamabad and could be contacted. Micro column Gel technique was used to find out R1R1, R1wr, R2R2 and rr phenotypes with or without K antigen. Repeat sample of these donors were phenotyped for minimum antigens required for reagent cells. Teams of three donors each were made on the basis of Rh, K antigens and homozygosity for E, Fya, Fyb, Jka, Jkb, S, and s antigens. The selected cells were added to preservative suspension containing neomycin and chloramphenicol and dispensed as 8% solution and labeled. Cells were submitted to quality control testing for 35 days shelf life and efficacy was compared with commercial cells.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The cells of required phenotype were prepared according to UK guidelines and AABB standards with minor exceptions. Reagent cells had excellent quality confirmed by many quality control procedures and were comparable to commercial cells in efficacy. The cost saving was significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  AFIT can introduce type and screen policy and Maximum Surgical Blood Ordering Schedule using indigenously prepared cells, of good quality and at an affordable price. This will enhance serological safety of recipients and brings AFIT near to adopting standard practice of pretransfusion testing.
authors.affiliation: Armed Forces Institute of Transfusion, Rawalpindi, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Nuzhat
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Salamat
authors.forename: Farhat Abbas
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Bhatti
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yaqub
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hafeez
authors.forename: Altaf
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hussain
authors.lastname: Ziaullah
mesh_terms: D000017:ABO Blood-Group System; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology; D001788:Blood Grouping and Crossmatching / Q000592:standards*; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006772:Hospitals, Military; D006801:Humans; D010154:Pakistan; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D015203:Reproducibility of Results
chemical_list: D000017:ABO Blood-Group System; D001323:Autoantibodies