title: RHD positive among C/E+ and D-negative blood donors in Tunisia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to investigate RHD alleles among Tunisian blood donors with D-negative phenotype and positive for C and/or E antigen.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 100 D-negative and C/E+ samples were analyzed by RHD genotyping using an initial test for RHD exon 10. In case of a positive reaction, further molecular investigations including real time quantitative PCR, allele specific PCR and nucleotide sequencing were done to elucidate the RHD involved mechanisms.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seventy-five percent of the studied samples lacked the RHD gene. Twenty-three percent carried the hybrid RHD-CE-D alleles (16 RHD-CE(3-7)-D, 5 RHD-CE(4-7)-D, 1 RHD-CE(4-8)-D, 1 RHD-CE(3-8)-D) and 2% were weak D (1 weak D type 1 and 1 weak D type 5).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study proved the high frequency of RHD gene among serologically D-negative samples, positive for C and/or E antigen. Thus achieving systematically RHCE phenotyping in all transfusion centers on the Tunisian territory and considering blood donated from D-negative C/E+ persons as D-positive will be recommended to reduce anti-D allo-immunization.
authors.affiliation: Unité de recherche « UR06SP05 », centre régional de transfusion sanguine, hôpital Farhat Hached, Sousse, Tunisia; AP-HM, hôpital Nord, laboratoire de biochimie et biologie moléculaire, 13915 Marseille cedex 20, France.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Moussa
authors.affiliation: AP-HM, hôpital Nord, laboratoire de biochimie et biologie moléculaire, 13915 Marseille cedex 20, France.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tsochandaridis
authors.affiliation: Unité de recherche « UR06SP05 », centre régional de transfusion sanguine, hôpital Farhat Hached, Sousse, Tunisia.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kacem
authors.affiliation: Unité de recherche « UR06SP05 », centre régional de transfusion sanguine, hôpital Farhat Hached, Sousse, Tunisia.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Chakroun
authors.affiliation: Unité de recherche « UR06SP05 », centre régional de transfusion sanguine, hôpital Farhat Hached, Sousse, Tunisia.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Abdelkefi
authors.affiliation: AP-HM, hôpital Nord, laboratoire de biochimie et biologie moléculaire, 13915 Marseille cedex 20, France.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gabert
authors.affiliation: AP-HM, hôpital Nord, laboratoire de biochimie et biologie moléculaire, 13915 Marseille cedex 20, France.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Levy
authors.affiliation: Unité de recherche « UR06SP05 », centre régional de transfusion sanguine, hôpital Farhat Hached, Sousse, Tunisia. Electronic address: saloua.jemni@rns.tn.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jemni Yacoub
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000483:Alleles; D001782:Blood Donors; D001788:Blood Grouping and Crossmatching; D005091:Exons; D017353:Gene Deletion; D005787:Gene Frequency; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007518:Isoantibodies / Q000276:immunology; D010641:Phenotype; D012203:Rh Isoimmunization / Q000517:prevention & control; D012204:Rh-Hr Blood-Group System / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D017384:Sequence Deletion; D014416:Tunisia
chemical_list: D007518:Isoantibodies; C033242:RH-antibodies; D012204:Rh-Hr Blood-Group System; C026410:Rho(D) antigen
keywords: C/E+ D-negative phenotype; Gène RHD; Génotypage RHD; Les allèles RHD; Phénotype D négatif C/E+; RHD alleles; RHD gene; RHD genotyping; Tunisians; Tunisiens