An Adjusted Process to Improve Efficiency and Efficacy of Adsorption Procedures to Resolve Warm Autoantibody Cases

The presence of warm autoantibodies in patient plasma 
typically causes extended delays in patient care due to panreactive antibody identification tests. Adsorption is the primary method for resolution. A modified adsorption procedure was devised with the intent to minimize delays, and the aim of the study was to evaluate its efficacy.

To evaluate the in-house developed (experimental) adsorption method, specimens were tested in parallel with the standard adsorption method described in the AABB Technical Manual, 20th edition. Specimens selected demonstrated panreactivity at the submitting facility and contained adequate volume for parallel adsorption studies.

Ninety specimens were tested with both methods. Ninety specimens achieved complete adsorption with the experimental method and 88 specimens achieved complete adsorption with the standard method. Two underlying alloantibodies, which have been reported to cause hemolytic transfusion reactions and potential renal graft rejection, were detected using the experimental method that the standard method failed to detect.

The experimental method demonstrated a significant reduction in rounds of adsorption required to resolve warm autoantibody reactivity, enhanced antibody detection ability with adsorbed plasma, and more cost-effective outcomes compared to the standard method. A follow-up study is planned to assess whether the incubation time can be decreased with the experimental method to further improve the efficiency of the method without sacrificing efficacy.