title: Phenotyping Rh/Kell and risk of alloimmunization in haematological patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  One of the biggest concerns in transfusion medicine is to avoid red blood cell alloimmunization. We evaluated the rate of alloimmunization in two groups of chronically transfused patients (A - not phenotyped and B - phenotyped for Rh/K antigens before the first transfusion) with primary haematological disorders and its distribution among the main haematological diseases, in order to adopt an efficient transfusional strategy.
  
  
  METHODS
  As methodology, we used the SIBAS and SAM databases for the retrospective study of all patients with primary haematological disorder between January 2011 and April 2013.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A statistical difference in the rate of alloimmunization comparing groups A and B was found (P <0·0001). We also observed that alloimmunization was not homogeneously distributed in all primary haematological diseases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The Rh/K phenotype should be performed on all patients diagnosed with bone marrow failure, plasma cell dyscrasia and myelodysplastic syndrome in order to avoid alloimmunization. In patients with acute leukaemia and lymphoma it seems not necessary to perform it. In patients with haemoglobinopathy and myeloproliferative disorders, a larger group of patients is needed to decide its efficacy.
authors.affiliation: Serviço de Imunohemoterapia, Laboratório de Imuno-hematologia, Transfusion Medicine Department and Blood Bank, Centro Hospitalar São João.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Baía
authors.affiliation: Serviço de Imunohemoterapia, Laboratório de Imuno-hematologia, Transfusion Medicine Department and Blood Bank, Centro Hospitalar São João.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Correia
authors.affiliation: Serviço de Imunohemoterapia, Laboratório de Imuno-hematologia, Transfusion Medicine Department and Blood Bank, Centro Hospitalar São João.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Alves
authors.affiliation: Serviço de Imunohemoterapia, Laboratório de Imuno-hematologia, Transfusion Medicine Department and Blood Bank, Centro Hospitalar São João.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Martinez
authors.affiliation: Serviço de Imunohemoterapia, Laboratório de Imuno-hematologia, Transfusion Medicine Department and Blood Bank, Centro Hospitalar São João.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Koch
authors.affiliation: Department of Haematology, São João University Hospital, Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Carneiro
authors.affiliation: Serviço de Imunohemoterapia, Laboratório de Imuno-hematologia, Transfusion Medicine Department and Blood Bank, Centro Hospitalar São João.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Araújo
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016208:Databases, Factual; D017707:Erythrocyte Transfusion / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006402:Hematologic Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007519:Isoantigens / Q000097:blood; D007626:Kell Blood-Group System / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012204:Rh-Hr Blood-Group System / Q000097:blood*; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D007519:Isoantigens; D007626:Kell Blood-Group System; D012204:Rh-Hr Blood-Group System
keywords: alloimmunization; cell transfusion; primary haematological disorder; red blood