Rare blood donor needed

Here, we describe a 14-year-old male with leukocyte adhesion deficiency type 2 who was transferred to a university hospital with anemia (hemoglobin 6 g/dL) and multiple singular abscesses refractory to antimicrobials.

As leukocyte adhesion deficiency type 2 is associated with Bombay phenotype, the patient's red blood cells (RBCs) were tested with commercial anti-H lectin Ulex europaeus. An allogeneic adsorption with phenotype-matched cells was performed. RBCs negative for H antigen (O_h ) were tested with patient's plasma. The American Rare Donor Program was contacted to find granulocyte donors. The patient was Bombay phenotype (O_h ). All major clinically significant alloantibodies were excluded testing O_h cells and allogeneic adsorbed plasma. Two Bombay RBC units and five doses of granulocytes were requested from the blood center. Two frozen Bombay RBC units were obtained through another blood center. The American Rare Donor Program found one eligible granulocyte donor who lived 4 hours by car from the collection center. Because of this concern and other major logistic challenges, the blood center considered other options. These methods included gravity sedimentation and a cell separation system to isolate the RBCs from granulocytes. Unfortunately, neither one could be implemented. Auspiciously, the patient's condition improved and granulocytes were no longer needed.

To avoid the challenge of finding compatible granulocyte donors for patients with rare blood types and clinically significant antibodies, our blood center considered validating and implementing gravity separation to remove the incompatible RBCs from granulocyte collections.