[Specificity and clinical features of erythrocytic allo-antibodies in hospitalized patients]

To evaluate the occurrence and clinical significance of red blood cell (RBC) allo-antibodies among hospitalized patients in China.

The specificity and clinical features of RBC allo-antibodies of hospitalized patients at our hospital from August 2009 to January 2011 were retrospectively analyzed.

Sixty-four (0.17%) RBC allo-antibodies were detected from 37 548 hospitalized patients. The male-to-female ratio was 0.6:1 and the transfused: untransfused ratio 0.9:1. Two patients had experienced episodes of delayed hemolytic transfusion reaction (DHTR). Their antibody frequencies were as follows: anti-E 53.1% (34/64), anti-D 10.9% (7/64), anti-cE 3.1% (2/64), anti-c 1.6% (1/64), anti-M 14.1% (9/64), anti-Mi(a) 10.9% (7/64), anti-Le(a) 4.7% (3/64), anti-Di(a) 1.6% (1/64). Antibodies to Rh system were more frequent among transfused patients while antibodies to Lewis system had a male predominance (both P < 0.05).

As the most common and clinically significant RBC allo-antibodies, the antibodies to Rh blood group system, especially anti-E, anti-cE and anti-c, are the main cause of DHTR.