Supervisors info:
Βαλσάμη Σερένα, Επίκουρη Καθηγήτρια, Ιατρική, ΕΚΠΑ
Πολίτου Μαριάννα, Αναπληρώτρια Καθηγήτρια, Ιατρική, ΕΚΠΑ
Γρουζή Ελισάβετ, Συντονίστρια Δ/ντρια ΝΥ Αιμοδοσίας, ΓΑΟΝΑ «Ο Άγιος Σάββας»
Summary:
Aiming to evaluate a) the frequency and identity of alloantibodies against erythrocytic antigens in patients of our general hospital and b) to reveal possible associations between alloantibodies presence and other variables such as sex and hospital department (i.e. internal medicine, surgery, haematological department) 32,650 blood samples from 36,659 patients hospitalized in “Sismanogleio” General Hospital between 2012 and 2016 were studied and evaluated. Amongst the patients studied, 16,130 were male (44%) and 20,529 female (56%), between 16 and 104 years of age. 1,275 out of 3,650 screening tests (Indirect Coombs assay, screening test) were found positive (3.9%). In addition to positive antibody detection tests, 1,594 antibody identification tests (panel) were also carried out. 271 alloantibodies were detected in 248 patients with an overall immunization rate of 0.68% (248/36,659 patients). 115 (46.4%) patients testing positive for alloantibodies were male and 133 (53.6%) female and their age varied, spanning from 27 to 97 years of age. Single alloantibodies were found in 228 cases, double in 34 and triple in 9. In our study, the alloantibody with the greatest frequency of detection was anti-Κ (32.1%). During the result analysis it became evident that most alloantibodies were found in patients of the internal medicine department, followed by the surgical and haematological departments. More specifically, in internal medicine and surgical departments the anti-K antibody exhibited the greatest frequency (36.6% and 32.5% respectiveley) whereas in the haematological department the anti-E antibody predominated (29.6%). Single alloantibody development was relatively high in our study population (anti-K 32.1%, anti-Ε 17.3%, anti-D 11.8%) and when double alloantibodies were detected anti-K was implicated in 11.8% of all cases. As to the association between double antibodies development and patient sex, women were found to develop double alloantibodies three times more frequently than their male counterparts (p = 0.011), whereas the triple antibodies development ratio was also twofold higher in women, not reaching nevertheless statistical significance (p = 0.253). Further result analysis showed that anti-K antibodies were the ones most frequently co-detected with one or two additional alloantibodies, whereas anti-s alloantibodies exhibited the lowest frequency of co-detection. Screening tests represent a useful mean of ensuring safe and compatible blood transfusions, enhancing patient outcomes. Alloantibody testing is a valuable tool in everyday transfusion medicine.
