Frequency of Rh Antigen and Phenotypes in Voluntary Blood Donors

Abstract

Context Rh blood group antigens are highly immunogenic and have a propensity to produce alloantibodies in multi-transfused patients. Knowledge of antigen frequency in a population is useful in compatibility issues, population genetics studies, and resolving medico-legal issues. Aims To determine the frequency of Rh antigens in voluntary blood donors. Settings and Design A prospective cross-sectional study was conducted on 381 voluntary blood donors in the blood center of a tertiary care center. Methods and Materials Rh-D typing was conducted by the conventional tube method. Specific monoclonal antisera were used to detect major Rh antigens by the conventional tube method. Statistical Analysis Used The collected data was recorded on an Excel spreadsheet and analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software version 20. The results are expressed in frequency and percentage. Results Among Rh antigens, e was most common (96.6%), followed by D: 94%, C: 87.4%, c: 54.6%, and E: 17.3%. The most common phenotype in Rh-positive donors is DCe/DCe (R1R1) (43.6%), while in Rh-D-negative donors, it is dce/dce (rr) (4.5%). Rare phenotypes were encountered, among which were DCcEE and Rh E/e deletion. The Rh E/e negative antithetical antigens encountered were D CC− (0.5%) and DCc− (0.3%). Conclusions The database for the antigen frequency of the Rh blood group system in the local blood donor population helps provide antigen-negative units to patients with multiple alloantibodies and compare the frequencies of Rh deletions.

Keywords

• blood donor
• phenotype
• prevalence
• rh blood group antigens
• rh e/e negative