A LISS spin enzyme method for the detection of red cell antibodies and its use in routine antibody screen procedures

A technique for performing the enzyme phase of the antibody screen on red cells suspended in low-ionic-strength-salt solution (LISS) is described. The reliability of this LISS spin-enzyme (LSE) technique was compared with the two-stage papain-tile method, in the detection of 62 previously identified enzyme reacting antibodies. All 62 antibodies examined were detected by the LSE method, and no false-positive reactions were found. Using LSE and papain-tile methods in parallel, further assessment was obtained by screening 2000 sequential blood samples under routine service conditions. Fifty-six blood samples contained alloantibodies, of which 43 reacted by both methods, eight by the LSE method only, and five by the papain-tile method only. It was concluded that the LSE method was comparable to the papain-tile method.