Prevalence of Dal blood type and dog erythrocyte antigens (DEA) 1, 4, and 7 in canine blood donors in Italy and Spain.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of Dal, and DEA 1, 4, 7 blood types, in a population of canine blood donors from Italy and Spain. Three hundred and twenty blood donor dogs receiving an annual health evaluation were included in the study. DEA 1 blood type was determined using an immunochromatographic strip technique while Dal, DEA 4 and 7 blood types were determined with polyclonal antisera using agglutination on gel columns. RESULTS: Out of 320 dogs blood typed 7 (2 Cane Corso and 5 Doberman Pinschers) (2.2%) were Dal negative; 137 (42.8%) were positive for DEA 1; 320 (100%) were positive for DEA 4 and 43 (13.4%) were positive for DEA 7. CONCLUSION: This study showed a similar prevalence of DEA 1, 7 and 4 to that reported in previous studies in the same, and in different, geographic areas, and provides new data on the prevalence of the Dal blood group in Italy and Spain. There was no significant difference (P = 0.8409) between prevalence of Dal negative blood types found in our population (2.2%) and the prevalence reported in a canine blood donor population from the USA (2.5%). Our study identified Dal negative dogs in a previously tested breed i.e. Doberman Pinschers, but also the Cane Corso breed was found to have Dal negative dogs.

Comparison of cross-matching method for detection of DEA 7 blood incompatibility.

We compared 3 major cross-match (XM) tests to identify dog erythrocyte antigen (DEA) 7 blood incompatibilities in dogs as a result of anti-DEA 7 antibodies: gel (GEL), standard tube (TUBE) agglutination, and immunochromatography strips (STRIP). Blood samples from 42 dogs were typed for DEA 7; 2 tested DEA 7-positive (DEA 7+). The 40 DEA 7-negative (DEA 7-) plasma samples were cross-matched against the 2 DEA 7+ and 3 DEA 7- red blood cell (RBC) samples by GEL to identify samples with anti-DEA 7 antibodies. Twenty DEA 7- plasma samples without and with anti-DEA 7 antibodies were cross-matched with samples of the 2 DEA 7+ RBCs in a double-blind fashion using the TUBE and STRIP XM methods. GEL results were used as the reference method for comparison. To determine relationships between results, 2 × 2 tables were used. Cohen kappa coefficient (κ) was calculated between results of GEL and the other 2 methods. With GEL, 21 of 40 XM tests were positive and 19 of 40 negative for anti-DEA 7 antibodies. The same results were obtained by TUBE, whereas only 1 of 40 XM tests was positive by STRIP. There was a statistically significant relationship between results of GEL and TUBE ( p < 0.000) with perfect agreement (κ = 1.000), but not between GEL and STRIP results ( p = 1.000) in which agreement was equivalent to chance (κ = 0.0453). The GEL and TUBE XM tests, but not STRIP, are useful methods for identification of DEA 7 incompatibilities caused by anti-DEA 7 antibodies.

Prevalence of naturally occurring antibodies against dog erythrocyte antigen 7 in a population of dog erythrocyte antigen 7-negative dogs from Spain and Italy.

OBJECTIVE To determine the prevalence of naturally occurring anti-dog erythrocyte antigen (DEA) 7 antibodies in DEA 7-negative dogs from Spain and Italy. ANIMALS 252 DEA 7-negative dogs from a population of 312 dogs that were previously tested for DEA 1, DEA 4, and DEA 7. PROCEDURES A plasma sample was obtained from each dog and evaluated for anti-DEA 7 antibodies by the use of gel column agglutination. Each plasma sample underwent major crossmatching with RBCs from DEA 7-positive dogs. Samples that resulted in agglutination were then crossmatched with RBCs from DEA 1-negative, DEA 4-positive, and DEA 7-negative dogs to confirm the presence of anti-DEA 7 antibodies. Results were then used to calculate the risk for a delayed transfusion reaction in a DEA 7-negative dog with anti-DEA 7 antibodies after a transfusion with blood that was not crossmatched or typed for DEA 7. RESULTS 96 of 252 (38.1%) plasma samples contained anti-DEA 7 antibodies. A DEA 7-negative dog with anti-DEA 7 antibodies had a 5.9% chance of developing a delayed hemolytic reaction after transfusion with blood not crossmatched or typed for DEA 7. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Results indicated that canine blood used for transfusion should be crossmatched with the blood or plasma of the intended recipient prior to transfusion to minimize the likelihood that the recipient will develop a hemolytic reaction associated with anti-DEA 7 antibodies. Ideal canine blood donors should be negative for both DEA 1 and DEA 7.

Prevalence of Dog Erythrocyte Antigens 1, 4, and 7 in Podenco Ibicenco (Ibizan Hounds) from Ibiza Island.

The aims of this study were to evaluate the prevalence of Dog Erythrocyte Antigens (DEA) 1, 4, and 7 in Ibizan hounds, to compare the results with the prevalence of DEA in Spanish greyhounds, and to determine the risk of sensitization following the first transfusion of blood not typed for DEA 1 and the probability of an acute hemolytic reaction following a second incompatible transfusion using untyped DEA 1 blood. DEA 1, 4, and 7 status was determined in 92 Ibizan hounds. Results were compared with the previously reported prevalence in Spanish greyhounds. The risks of sensitization and of a hemolytic transfusion reaction were determined amongst Ibizan hounds and between Ibizan hounds and Spanish greyhounds. The prevalence of DEA 1, 4, and 7 was 75%, 98.9%, and 25%, respectively. There was a significantly higher expression of DEA 1 and 7 in Ibizan hounds than in Spanish greyhounds. The probability of sensitization of a recipient dog to DEA 1 with transfusions amongst Ibizan hounds was 18.5% and between Ibizan hounds and Spanish greyhounds was 13.7%. The probability of an acute hemolytic reaction in each group was 3.5% and 1.9%, respectively. There is a higher prevalence of DEA 1 and 7 in Ibizan hounds than in other sighthounds.

Prevalence of dog erythrocyte antigens 1, 4, and 7 in galgos (Spanish Greyhounds).

Galgos (Spanish Greyhounds), in common with other sighthounds, have higher hematocrits, hemoglobin concentrations, and red blood cell counts than other breeds. In addition to these hematological characteristics, the physical characteristics of these dogs (medium to large dogs with an easily accessible jugular vein and a good temperament) make galgos ideal blood donors. However, to date, there are only published reports concerning dog erythrocyte antigen (DEA) 1 in this breed. Information on DEAs 4 and 7 would be useful when recruiting blood donors to donation programs, as DEA 1 and 7-negative and DEA 4-positive dogs can be considered universal donors. Ethylenediamine tetra-acetic acid-anticoagulated jugular blood samples were collected from 205 galgos. Dogs were aged between 1 and 10 years, 102 were female (49.8%) and 103 male (50.2%), and all were living in South Madrid, Spain. All 205 blood samples were tested for DEA 1 by card agglutination, and 150 of these samples were tested for DEA 4 and DEA 7 by gel column agglutination using polyclonal anti-DEA antibodies. Of the 205 galgos blood samples typed, 112 out of 205 (54.6%) were positive for DEA 1. Of the 150 blood samples tested, all (150/150, 100%) were positive for DEA 4, and 12 out of 150 (8%) samples tested positive for DEA 7. Of these samples, 70 out of 150 (46.7%) were positive only for DEA 4. There was no relationship between blood types and sex. In addition to the hematological characteristics previously reported and the physical characteristics of these dogs, the relative prevalence of blood types DEA 1, 4, and 7 make galgos good candidates for blood donation in blood donor programs.