Assessment of RBC Antibody Frequencies and Comparison of Screening and Identification Techniques Used in a Tertiary Hospital in the Philippines

Background. Pre-transfusion testing is done to avoid transfusion morbidity from unexpected RBC antibodies. Available commercial kits from Western brands may not consider racial differences in antibody frequencies between East/Southeast Asians and Western populations. The limited number of blood banks in the Philippines precludes research on RBC antibody screening and identification in the country. Objective. This study aimed to compare RBC antibody screening and identification methods in patients at a tertiary hospital in the Philippines, assess the frequency of major blood group antibodies using both techniques, and review clinical histories of discrepant and nonspecific cases. Methodology. Retrospective review showed 118 cases with both screening and identification tests using both conventional tube-based technique and column agglutination or gel-based technique. Antibody frequencies and discrepant or nonspecific results were recorded. Concordance rates were calculated, and differences between the two methods were analyzed using 95% confidence interval (95% CI). Clinical histories of discrepant and nonspecific cases were also reviewed. Results. The most frequent major blood group was Rh (41 cases or 34.7%), followed by MNS (34 cases or 28.8%) and Kidd (15 cases or 12.7%). The most common antibody was Anti-E (24 cases or 20.3%), followed by Anti-Mia (19 cases or 16.1%), and Anti-M and Anti-c (12 cases each, or 10.2% each). The concordance rate for screening was statistically significant at 72%. Concordance rate for identification was 59.3%, with significant difference in identifying Anti-Mia. Clinical histories for discrepant or nonspecific cases showed previous transfusions, pregnancy, lymphoproliferative conditions, and certain medications. Conclusion. Statistically significant differences between the two methods were found, with the gel-based technique identifying more Anti-Mia cases. Negative results from the tube-based method do not fully exclude Anti-Mia. These discrepancies highlight the benefit of using both methods for comprehensive RBC antibody screening and identification, done as a complement to the other.