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Updated: Aug 12, 2026
Methods for Quantitative Detection of Antibody-induced Complement Activation on Red Blood Cells
Published on: January 29, 2014
[Unjustified disposal of transfusion blood because of antibodies against brucella]
J Martínez-Canseco1, I Hernández-Ramos, A E Macías-Hernández
1Departamento de Microbiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Guanajuato, México.
Objectives:
To compare the slide microagglutination (SMA) test vs a gold standard test (tube agglutination test: SAT) for the detection of Brucella antibodies in order to evaluate the usefulness of SMA to discard transfusion blood units.
Design:
Prospective, comparative, cross sectional survey.
Setting:
City of Leon, State of Guanajuato, an endemic zone of brucellosis.
Samples:
48 sera from blood units discarded for transfusion by three blood banks due to Brucella antibodies detected by SMA and 48 controls of accepted units.
Methods:
Determination of Brucella antibodies with the SMA and SAT tests.
Results:
The 48 control samples were negative with both tests; of the 48 discarded samples, in only seven sera we confirmed a titer > or = 1:80 by SAT; thus, 41 blood units (85%) may have been improperly rejected because the only test used by the blood banks was the SMA. In our hands, the SMA showed a sensitivity and negative predictive value of 100%, a specificity of 81%, and positive predictive value of 29%.
Conclusions:
There was a high proportion of improper rejection of blood units for transfusion; Brucella antibodies at any titer detected by SMA should be followed by SAT testing.
