Alloimmunization of a dog erythrocyte antigen 1- dog transfused with weakly dog erythrocyte antigen 1+ blood.

BACKGROUND: Acute hemolytic transfusion reactions because of dog erythrocyte antigen (DEA) 1 sensitization after mismatched transfusions are serious complications. Dog erythrocyte antigen 1 expression varies from negative to weakly to strongly positive. OBJECTIVES: To assess alloimmunization after transfusion of weakly DEA 1+ blood to a DEA 1- dog. ANIMALS: One DEA 1- recipient and 1 weakly DEA 1+ donor, and 106 control dogs. METHODS: Long-term follow-up study. Matched for DEA 3, 4, 5, and 7, Dal, and Kai 1 and 2, weakly DEA 1+ donor packed red blood cells (RBCs) were transfused 3 times (0.45 mL/kg at Day 0, 16, and 37) to a DEA 1- recipient. Alloantibodies against RBCs from donor and 106 controls were determined in recipient's plasma samples using a commercial antiglobulin-enhanced immunochromatographic strip and gel tube crossmatches. Alloantibody titers were determined. RESULTS: The DEA 1- recipient was sensitized after 16 days to ≥1657 days after transfusion to weakly DEA 1+ and otherwise matched RBCs. Strong to moderate crossmatch incompatibilities were observed between recipient's plasma and all 61 DEA 1+ crossmatched controls. Moderate to weak incompatibilities were also observed to DEA 1- controls. Anti-DEA 1 and other alloantibodies were detected over the 4.5 year observation period. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Blood from a weakly DEA 1+ donor induces a strong and durable alloimmunization in a DEA 1- recipient dog. Additional alloantibodies developed against yet to be defined RBC antigens. Those results support the recommendation of typing dogs against DEA 1, considering weakly DEA 1+ as immunogenic, and crossmatching all previously transfused dogs.

Detection of naturally occurring alloantibody by an in-clinic antiglobulin-enhanced and standard crossmatch gel column test in non-transfused domestic shorthair cats.

BACKGROUND: Blood typing for the A and B antigens is essential and crossmatching testing is generally recommended before transfusing blood to cats. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate 2 crossmatch (XM) tests. ANIMALS: Forty-nine healthy domestic shorthair cats that had not received a blood transfusion. METHODS: Prospective study. Blood samples were typed for AB using immunochromatographic and flow cytometric techniques. A gel column (GC) and a feline antiglobulin-enhanced gel column (AGC) XM tests were used for crossmatching. RESULTS: The population included 34 type A, 13 B, and 2 AB cats, with concordant results (r = 1, P < .005) by flow cytometry and immunochromatographic strip kit. The plasma from type A cats had either no or weak anti-B alloantibodies. The plasma of 12 of 13 type B cats contained strong anti-A alloantibodies. For crossmatching, plasma to RBC pairings were prepared using the GC (n = 446) and AGC (n = 630) tests. Both methods showed compatibilities in 329 and incompatibilities in 102 pairings including all A-B mismatches. Additionally 15 pairings showed agglutination by the AGC but not GC method. Fourteen incompatibilities outside the expected A-B mismatches were only revealed by AGC. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: AB typing using immunochromatographic strip is as accurate as laboratory flow cytometry. The 2 XM methods had good agreement with additional incompatibilities being recognized by the AGC XM beyond A-B incompatibilities. In clinic, feline AB typing and sensitive XM test kits are available and recommended before each transfusion, although the clinical implications of incompatible XM test results and clinical benefits of such crossmatching have not been documented.