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Updated: Mar 26, 2026
Methods for Quantitative Detection of Antibody-induced Complement Activation on Red Blood Cells
Published on: January 29, 2014
RISK OF RED BLOOD CELL ALLOIMMUNISATION IN RWANDA: ASSESSMENT OF PRETRANSFUSION CROSSMATCH TECHNIQUES USED IN
E Ndahimana1, A Gothot, C Gérard
1CHU Liège, Sart-Tilman, Belgium.
Background:
Screening of alloantibodies in patients is not yet done in district hospitals of Rwanda. The practice is to transfuse ABO/D compatible blood following an immediate spin crossmatch (IS-XM) or indirect antiglobulin test crossmatch (IAT-XM).
Objectives:
To assess the risk of red blood cell (RBC) alloimmunisation associated with the use of IS-XM compared to the IAT-XM in patients receiving blood transfusions in district hospitals in Rwanda.
Design:
A cross-sectional comparative descriptive study.
Setting:
Four Rwandan district hospitals. Kirehe and Nyanza hospitals used IS-XM while Muhima and Ruhengeri hospitals used IAT-XM.
Subjects:
Blood samples were obtained from 187 patients (101 with IS-XM and 86 with IAT-XM) transfused in January, February, October, and November of 2012.
Results:
The median age of blood recipients was 31 years (7 - 80) and 36% of them were male. Sixteen specific antibodies were identified in 12 patients: anti-RH1/D (2),anti-RH2/C (2), anti-RH3/E (2), anti-RH4/c (1), anti-RH5/e (2),anti-LE1/Lea (2),anti-JK1/Jka (1), anti-JK2/Jkb (1), anti-KEL1/K (1), anti-MNS1/M (1), and autoantibody (1).The global prevalence of redblood cell (RBC) alloimmunisationwas 6.4% (12/187). Thatprevalence was significantly higher in the IS-XM group (10.4%) than in the IAT-XM group (2.3%) with an odds ratio of 4.8; [95% CI=1.2-19.8]; and a p-value of 0.031.
Conclusion:
The prevalence of red blood cell (RBC) alloimmunisation in 187 patients receiving blood transfusions was 6.4% and was higher in recipients from hospitals using IS-XM, with Rhesus (RH) system antibodies widely predominant (56.2%).We recommend that IAT-XM be used in all district hospitals in Rwanda to minimise this risk.
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