Blood group genotyping: from patient to high-throughput donor screening

Area of Science:

• Immunology
• Genetics
• Transfusion Medicine

Background:

• Blood group antigens on red blood cells and platelets are crucial for transfusion compatibility.
• Serological typing is standard, but molecular genotyping is essential when serology is unreliable (e.g., auto-antibodies, transfusions).
• Genotyping is vital for fetal diagnostics and supporting unexpected serological findings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review current high-throughput genotyping methods for blood group systems.
• To highlight the utility of genotyping for patient diagnostics and blood donor characterization.
• To emphasize the advantages of DNA microarray technology for large-scale donor typing.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on blood group genotyping techniques.
• Discussion of DNA microarray-based high-throughput genotyping systems.
• Analysis of applications in patient diagnostics and blood donor screening.

Main Results:

• Molecular basis for many blood group systems and human platelet antigens is established.
• Genotyping provides essential diagnostic support in challenging serological cases and for fetal typing.
• High-throughput DNA microarrays are feasible for large-scale blood donor genotyping.

Conclusions:

• Genotyping is indispensable for accurate blood group determination in clinical settings.
• High-throughput genotyping of blood donors facilitates rare phenotype identification and enhances donor-recipient matching.
• DNA microarray technology offers a scalable and efficient solution for comprehensive blood donor characterization, ultimately preventing adverse transfusion reactions.