title: Development of enhancing agglutination reaction using gold nanoparticle for pre-transfusion testing.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore an alternative way for antibody detection testing, the examination of gold nanoparticle solution for enhancing unexpected antibodies for pre-transfusion testing was investigated.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Exposure of foreign antigens on red blood cells from transfusion can trigger the immune system to produce unexpected antibodies. This immunological response may cause the complication to future transfusion. For detection of unexpected antibodies, the antibody screening test is performed approximately 30-60 min. To reduce turnaround time, enhancing reagent, low-ionic strength solution (LISS), is widely used. However, cost of enhancing reagent is an issue which has concerned in resource limited countries. Gold nanoparticle solution can increase red blood cells agglutination reaction. To solve this issue, study of gold nanoparticle solution was investigated.
  
  
  METHODS
  Samples were performed comparing between LISS and gold nanoparticle solution at antiglobulin phase. After reading the agglutination reaction, supernatants were collected and measured at the optical density at 760 nm by spectrophotometer.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The optical density in the tube of gold nanoparticle solution was higher than in the tube of 2-5% cell suspension and monoclonal antibody. It has been observed that gold nanoparticle solution enhanced the reaction of agglutination 98% while LISS enhanced the agglutination only 60·8%. Employing a commercially available enhancing reagent, parallel samples confirmed results providing validation of the assay. It approximately costs $1 US dollars compared to $30 for a commercially available reagent.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The low cost and yet effective time-consuming test for antibody screening is a practical and viable solution alternative way for performing in antibody screening test in resource limited countries.
authors.affiliation: The Thai Red Cross Society.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Choktaweesak
authors.affiliation: Department of Transfusion Medicine and Clinical Microbiology, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Krasathong
authors.affiliation: Department of Transfusion Medicine and Clinical Microbiology, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand. palanee@gmail.com.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ammaranond
mesh_terms: D000017:ABO Blood-Group System / Q000097:blood*; D001788:Blood Grouping and Crossmatching / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006046:Gold / Q000737:chemistry*; D006386:Hemagglutination Tests / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000017:ABO Blood-Group System; D006046:Gold
keywords: antibody screening test; gold nanoparticle; unexpected antibodies