Hematologic complications in a patient with Glycine soja polyagglutination following fresh frozen plasma transfusion

Ryan P. Jajosky/ Lloyd O. Cook/ Elizabeth Manaloor/ James F. Shikle/ Roni J. Bollag

Polyagglutination is a rare and underdiagnosed condition, characterized by agglutination of red blood cells (RBCs) with almost all ABO-compatible adult sera. Polyagglutination can occur when a cryptantigen is exposed on RBCs via microbial enzyme activity. Because nearly all adults naturally produce antibodies against cryptantigens, transfusion of plasma can cause unexpected hemolysis and hematologic complications, such as thrombocytopenia and disseminated intravascular coagulation, in patients w(..)

DOI: 10.21307/immunohematology-2019-007

The Vel blood group system: a review

Jill R. Storry/ Thierry Peyrard

The blood group antigen Vel has been one of immunohematology’s greatest enigmas: the variation in antigen strength from one individual to another, the property of anti-Vel to readily hemolyze Vel+ red blood cells (RBCs), and the difficulty to screen for sufficient numbers of Vel– blood donors had made Vel a tough nut to crack. In 2013, a small, previously unknown protein called small integral membrane protein 1 (SMIM1) was identified on the RBC by three independent research groups using differen(..)

DOI: 10.21307/immunohematology-2019-008

Two cases of the variant RHD*DAU5 allele associated with maternal alloanti-D  

Jennifer A. Duncan/ Susan Nahirniak/ Rodrigo Onell/ Gwen Clarke

Rh is a complex blood group system with diverse genotypes that may encode weak and partial D variants. Standard serologic analysis may identify clinically significant D variants as D+; nevertheless, individuals with these D variants should be managed as D– patients to prevent antibody formation to absent D epitopes. Variant identification is necessary during pregnancy to allow for timely and appropriate Rh immune globulin (RhIG) prophylaxis for hemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn (HDFN) a(..)

DOI: 10.21307/immunohematology-2019-009

The FORS awakens: review of a blood group system reborn

Annika K. Hult/ Martin L. Olsson

The presence of the FORS1 antigen on red blood cells was discovered relatively recently, and in 2012, the International Society of Blood Transfusion (ISBT) acknowledged FORS as blood group system number 031. This rare antigen is carried by a glycosphingolipid and formed by elongation of the P antigen. Most people have naturally occurring anti-FORS1 in their plasma. The clinical significance of these antibodies is unknown in the transfusion setting, but they can hemolyze FORS1+ erythrocytes in th(..)

DOI: 10.21307/immunohematology-2019-010

A suspected delayed hemolytic transfusion reaction mediated by anti-Joa

Ryan P. Jajosky/ Wendy C. Lumm/ Scott C. Wise/ Roni J. Bollag/ James F. Shikle

A 32-year-old African-American woman with a history of sickle cell disease presented for surgical evaluation of left total hip arthroplasty due to avascular necrosis of the femoral head. In anticipation of a complex orthopedic procedure, pre-surgical blood work was ordered. The patient’s Fenwal blood sample typed as group O, D+. Although the patient had a history of anti-Fya, the antibody identification was inconclusive, so the workup was sent to a reference laboratory. The patient was last tran(..)

DOI: 10.21307/immunohematology-2019-011

Recognizing and resolving ABO discrepancies

Geralyn M. Meny

Patient samples are routinely typed for ABO prior to transfusion. Determining the ABO group requires both red blood cell (RBC) antigen typing for A and B (forward type) and testing for anti-A and anti-B in the plasma (reverse type). An ABO discrepancy exists when the result of an ABO RBC typing, or forward type, does not agree with the result of the plasma typing, or reverse type. This brief review examines several causes of ABO discrepancies encountered in the clinical transfusion service. Opti(..)

DOI: 10.21307/immunohematology-2019-012

Bloody Brilliant: A History of Blood Groups and Blood Groupers

S. Gerald Sandler

DOI: 10.21307/immunohematology-2019-013