title: Detection of red cell antibodies: comparison of two low ionic strength diluents.
abstract: Various low ionic strength diluents are used routinely for red cell alloantibody detection in the antiglobulin test to increase the rate of antibody association to antigen, thereby allowing a reduction in the incubation time while achieving optimal agglutination. Two commercial low ionic strength diluents (DiaMed ID-CellStab and Inverclyde LISS) were assessed using the DiaMed-ID LISS Coombs' microtube column system, to assess whether or not the choice of diluent influences red cell antibody detection. Effects of two low ionic strength diluents after 15-min incubation were assessed in 150 samples containing a wide range of typical red cell alloantibodies. Inverclyde LISS gave significantly higher reaction strengths in 25% of samples when compared with the same red cells suspended in ID-CellStab. Variation in reaction strengths ranged from 1+ to 2+, using Inverclyde LISS versus CellStab. Of 131 red cell alloantibodies directed against Rh, Kell, Kidd and Duffy antigens, Inverclyde LISS detected 90% after 15-min incubation, whereas 83% were detected with CellStab. This study suggests that Inverclyde LISS provides better red cell alloantibody detection than does ID-CellStab, and this may be due to the higher ionic strength of ID-CellStab.
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Al-Azhar University, PO Box (1277, Gaza, Palestine. y_skaik@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Y A
authors.initials: YA
authors.lastname: Skaik
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Overfield
mesh_terms: D001787:Blood Group Incompatibility / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003298:Coombs Test; D000939:Epitopes; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007518:Isoantibodies / Q000097:blood*; D009994:Osmolar Concentration; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D000939:Epitopes; D007518:Isoantibodies