EVALUATION OF KELL ANTIGEN PHENOTYPING VERSUS GENOTYPING IN EGYPTIAN MULTITRANSFUSED THALASSEMIC PATIENTS.

Thalassemia is the most common hereditary single-gene disorder.Thalassemia patients typically require repeated RBC transfusions as their primary treatment option.The most common complication of RBC transfusion is alloimmunization against RBC antigens. The Kell blood group system is the third most significant immunogenic blood group system.Most studies have reported a high prevalence of antibodies against Kell system antigens in thalassemia patients. Accurate phenotyping of RBCs from transfused patients with thalassemia is a very complex process due to the presence of transfused donors RBCs in the recipient’s circulation. Molecular assays are not influenced by the presence of immunoglobulins or transfused cells and can be used to determine RBC antigens even in recently transfused patients or those receiving multiple blood transfusions. Therefore, using molecular blood group genotyping can support transfusion decisions and prevent alloimmunization by an antigen-matched transfusion in these patients.Aim:The aim of this study is to estimate Kell antigen among Egyptian multitransfused thalassemic pateints and evaluate the usefulness of kell antigen genotyping in addition to conventional serological phenotyping in order to determine the pateints who will benefit from this technique.