PREVALENCE OF ALLOANTIGEN ‘E’ IN ‘O’ POSITIVE BLOOD GROUP DONORS

Abstract

Background and objective: The antigen ‘e’ is one of the alloantigen, which can develop alloantibodies in multitransfused patients. Our study objective is to assess the antigen ‘e’ in the ‘O’ Blood group donors.

Material and methods: In this study we included 1000 ‘O’ positive blood group donors and their consent was procured. The donors’ blood sample was collected after blood donation in Ethylene diamine tetra acetic acid (EDTA). ABO and Rh (D) blood grouping was done using monoclonal IgG and IgM antibodies. Antigen ‘e’ was detected by monoclonal blood grouping reagents anti-e (anti-RH5) antisera diluents cassette of Ortho BioVue System. The allele frequencies were calculated under the standard assumption of Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, using the counting method of Cepellini et al. False positive and false negative results were strictly avoided by taking quality control measures at each step. An interpretation of both slide and tube tests were similar, if agglutination was observed then it was considered as presence of antigen or positive and if agglutination was not found then it indicates absence of antigen or negative. Peripheral drying and fibrin strands were voided while interpretation of results.  Data was analyzed using statistical software R version 4.0.2 and Microsoft Excel

Result: In 1000 blood donors 971 were male and 29 were female. The mean age of donors was 29.69±6.47 years. Among study participants only 10 were positive with antigen‘e’. Age (p= 0.7288^t) and gender (p= 0.2644^MC) were not significant with antigen ‘e’.

Conclusion: In this study very less number of donors is positive with antigen ‘e’ which is contrast to the previous study findings.