Incidence of Rh-antigen and Phenotypes of the Khon Kaen Hospital Rh-negative Donors’ Club

Abstract

The Rh blood group system is clinically important as it causes a hemolytic transfusion reaction (HTR) and hemolytic disease of the newborn (HDN), which in some cases may result in death. In a transfusion, it is also important to match the Rh blood group system, blood with the matching Rh phenotype, in addition to ensuring the ABO blood synchronization. Among the Thai people, the Rh-negative blood type is very rare, approximately only one to three people out of one thousand are found to have the Rh negative blood type. Especially, if a patient has anti-D or anti-E immunoglobulin, it becomes increasingly more difficult to find matching blood, in case of emergency. In this study, blood samples of members of the Rh-negative Donors’ Club at Khon Kaen Hospital were examined to determine the incidence of the five main antigen types such as D, C, E, c, and e. The duration of study was between September 2013 and February 2014. Antigen testing in erythrocytes of the ABO and Rh blood groups employed the standard tube test, using anti-D, anti-E and anti-c produced by the National Blood Center of the Thai Red Cross Society and anti-C and anti-e as commercial antisera. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. It was found that the most common antigens was e antigen which was found in all thirty-one subjects, followed by C and c antigen found in twenty-three subjects, and E antigen found only in one subject. Moreover the study of phenotype detected dCcee (r’r) in fifteen samples, dCCee (r’r’) in 8 samples, dccee (rr) in 7 samples, and dccEe (rr”) in one sample. The information of Rh phenotype testing in Rhnegative blood donor is very important for planning and preparation of blood safety supplies by matching people with compatible ABO group types and Rh phenotypes in the pre-emergent conditions.