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RHD antigen density and agglutination in RHD variant red cells
1Abteilung für Transfusionsmedizin, Universität Ulm, Germany.
For the Rhesus categories DIV, DVI, and DVII, agglutination was compared to the number of RHD antigens per cell. We detected 3,100 to 15,400 antigens/cell on DVI. We report examples of anti-D reactivity showing lack of specificity and pointing to the known serologic split in DIV and DVI. Such a split was not found in DVII. Other examples were explained by lack of sensitivity. These results emphasized the need to consider RHD antigen densities, before a serologic split in RHD variant cells is postulated. In this context, flow cytometry may be superior to agglutination titers to determine antigen densities.
For the Rhesus categories DIV, DVI, and DVII, agglutination was compared to the number of RHD antigens per cell. We detected 3,100 to 15,400 antigens/cell on DVI. We report examples of anti-D reactivity showing lack of specificity and pointing to the known serologic split in DIV and DVI. Such a split was not found in DVII. Other examples were explained by lack of sensitivity. These results emphasized the need to consider RHD antigen densities, before a serologic split in RHD variant cells is postulated. In this context, flow cytometry may be superior to agglutination titers to determine antigen densities.
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