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Chloramphenicol-dependent antibody: a case report
M R Fried1, T L Scofield, D F Stroncek
1Blood Bank, University of Minnesota Hospital and Clinic, Minneapolis, USA.
Background:
Chloramphenicol-dependent antibodies are a rare cause of interference in pretransfusion serologic testing. Their presence can be confirmed by the testing of red cells in both the presence and absence of chloramphenicol.
Case Report:
A 29-year-old, group A, Rh-positive man with no history of chloramphenicol exposure was found to have a chloramphenicol-dependent panagglutinin in his serum. The antibody was IgM with a titer of 8. It showed no blood group specificity when tested with common and rare red cell phenotypes, and it failed to react with platelets and granulocytes. Confirmation attempts using a chloramphenicol sodium succinate solution as the cell-suspending medium led to negative results. The antibody reacted serologically only in the presence of chloramphenicol, which arises from the succinate derivative by the action of blood esterases.
Conclusion:
This case is an additional example of a chloramphenicol-dependent antibody. It demonstrates how the laboratory investigation of drug-related phenomena is dependent on testing the drug from that reacts in vivo.