A suspected delayed hemolytic transfusion reaction mediated by anti-Joa

A 32-year-old African-American woman with a history of sickle cell disease presented for surgical evaluation of left total hip arthroplasty due to avascular necrosis of the femoral head. In anticipation of a complex orthopedic procedure, pre-surgical blood work was ordered. The patient's Fenwal blood sample typed as group O, D+. Although the patient had a history of anti-Fya, the antibody identification was inconclusive, so the workup was sent to a reference laboratory. The patient was last transfused with red blood cells (RBCs) 2 years earlier, but had no history of transfusion reactions. Due to surgery, the patient's hemoglobin (Hb) decreased from 10.2 g/dL (preoperative) to 8.6 g/dL (postoperative). One unit of weakly crossmatch-incompatible Fy(a-), C-, E-, K-, and sickle cell hemoglobin S (HbS)-negative RBCs was transfused without incident, and the patient was discharged. Several days later, the reference lab reported two new specificities, anti-Joa and anti-Jkb. Fortunately, the transfused RBC unit was Jk(b-). Therefore, the crossmatch incompatibility was attributed to anti-Joa, which targets a high-prevalence antigen found in 100 percent of most populations. Two weeks after discharge, the patient returned in sickle vaso-occlusive pain crisis. The patient was clinically stable, but her Hb was 6.7 g/dL. One unit of Fy(a-), Jk(b-), C-, E-, K-, HbS- RBCs, which was weakly crossmatch-incompatible, was transfused. The following day, her Hb was unchanged, lactic acid dehydrogenase increased from 951 to 2464 U/L, potassium increased from 3.7 to 4.6 mEq/L, creatinine increased from 0.60 to 0.98 mg/dL, and the patient developed a 38.4°C fever. These findings are consistent with a delayed hemolytic transfusion reaction (DHTR), mediated by anti-Joa, occurring 2 weeks after the first RBC transfusion. Further care could not be provided because the patient left the hospital against medical advice. The purpose of this case study is to report findings consistent with a DHTR attributed to anti-Joa, an antibody with relatively unknown clinical significance.