title: Frequency of irregular red cell alloantibodies in patients with thalassemia major: a bicenter study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To provide frequency and distribution pattern of various types of irregular red cell alloantibodies in patients with thalassemia major.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a descriptive study conducted at two centers from January to December 2001. Purposive sampling was done and all patients diagnosed to have thalassemia major were included in the study. Antibody identification was carried out on serum employing commercial two-cell panel using standardized blood bank methods. If patients were found to have an irregular red cell alloantibody then the antibody identification was performed using 16 panel cells.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of ninety-seven patients were included in the study. Fifty-three patients were males and 44 females. Mean age was 10.6 years. Irregular red cell alloantibodies were found in 9 (9.2%). Mean age of patients who developed red cell alloantibody was 11.9 years. Three (33.3%) patients developed anti-K while two (22.2%) had non-specific antibody. One patient each developed anti-D (11.1%) and anti-E (11.1%). Two had anti-D (11.1%) and anti-C while the other one (11.1%) developed anti-E and anti-K.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We concluded that there is relatively high rate of alloimmunization in our set of patients when compared to data from our region. We also suggest that red cell alloimmunization should not be overlooked in patients receiving regular blood transfusions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, The Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Fareena
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bilwani
authors.forename: Ghulam Nabi
authors.initials: GN
authors.lastname: Kakepoto
authors.forename: Salman N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Adil
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Usman
authors.forename: Farrukh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hassan
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Khurshid
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001788:Blood Grouping and Crossmatching; D001803:Blood Transfusion; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007518:Isoantibodies / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D018029:Rho(D) Immune Globulin; D012307:Risk Factors; D017086:beta-Thalassemia / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy
chemical_list: D007518:Isoantibodies; C061961:RHO(D) antibody; D018029:Rho(D) Immune Globulin