A patient with anti-f in India identified by extensive immunohematologic workup

Anti-f is produced by exposure to the compound antigen ce (f) on red blood cells (RBCs), expressed when both c and e are present on the same protein (cis position). Although anti-f was discovered in 1953, there are few cases reported worldwide because the presence of anti-f is often masked by anti-c or anti-e and is not generally found as a single antibody. In the present case, anti-f was identified by using three-cell screening and 11-cell identification panels. The identification of anti-f was further supported by additional testing, including (1) Rh antigen typing; (2) antibody identification panels (enzyme-treated panel [ficin] and an in-house-constructed Rh panel); (3) look-back and phenotyping of donor RBC units, which were responsible for alloimmunization; and (4) molecular testing of the patient's RBCs.