<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<p>Solid-phase red cell adherence (SPRCA) is a sensitive platform for antibody detection, but nonspecific reactions may occur. One pattern of apparent nonspecific reactivity is a panagglutinin with a negative direct antiglobulin test (DAT). The purpose of this study was to define the clinical characteristics of patients with these nonspecific reactions and their associated serologic findings. Twenty patients with panreactive SPRCA testing results were identified between November 2022 and May 2023. In addition to panagglutinins, these patients had (1) a negative polyethylene glycol (PEG) antibody detection test, (2) a negative PEG autocontrol, and (3) a negative DAT. The strength of SPRCA panreactivity and the results of eluate testing (by tube and SPRCA) were studied. Clinical characteristics of patients included age, sex, and primary diagnosis. Each patient was also assessed for evidence of hemolysis. Fourteen female and six male patients were evaluated (average age 44 years). Primary diagnoses included pregnancy (<italic>n</italic> = 10), acute bleeding (<italic>n</italic> = 4), orthopedic (<italic>n</italic> = 3), and other (<italic>n</italic> = 3). There was no clinical or laboratory evidence of hemolysis. The predominant strength of SPRCA panreactivity was evenly distributed across reaction grades (1+ to 3+). Fifty-five percent of the eluates tested in PEG showed panreactivity, consistent with warm-reactive autoantibodies, while 85 percent of eluates tested by SPRCA were panreactive. Six discrepant cases, in which PEG eluate testing was negative and solid-phase eluate testing showed panreactivity, were associated with weak solid-phase plasma panreactivity (1+). In addition, the reactivity strengths of the eluates tested by SPRCA were invariably more strongly reactive than those eluates tested in PEG. Panagglutination is a distinct SPRCA-only plasma reactivity pattern. Despite a negative PEG tube and DAT, most panagglutinins are warm-reactive autoantibodies. Fortunately, these “interfering” panagglutinins do not appear to be clinically significant and are easily managed by an alternative testing method such as PEG.</p>
</abstract>

Solid-phase red cell adherence (SPRCA) is a sensitive platform for antibody detection, but nonspecific reactions may occur. One pattern of apparent nonspecific reactivity is a panagglutinin with a negative direct antiglobulin test (DAT). The purpose of this study was to define the clinical characteristics of patients with these nonspecific reactions and their associated serologic findings. Twenty patients with panreactive SPRCA testing results were identified between November 2022 and May 2023. In addition to panagglutinins, these patients had (1) a negative polyethylene glycol (PEG) antibody detection test, (2) a negative PEG autocontrol, and (3) a negative DAT. The strength of SPRCA panreactivity and the results of eluate testing (by tube and SPRCA) were studied. Clinical characteristics of patients included age, sex, and primary diagnosis. Each patient was also assessed for evidence of hemolysis. Fourteen female and six male patients were evaluated (average age 44 years). Primary diagnoses included pregnancy (n = 10), acute bleeding (n = 4), orthopedic (n = 3), and other (n = 3). There was no clinical or laboratory evidence of hemolysis. The predominant strength of SPRCA panreactivity was evenly distributed across reaction grades (1+ to 3+). Fifty-five percent of the eluates tested in PEG showed panreactivity, consistent with warm-reactive autoantibodies, while 85 percent of eluates tested by SPRCA were panreactive. Six discrepant cases, in which PEG eluate testing was negative and solid-phase eluate testing showed panreactivity, were associated with weak solid-phase plasma panreactivity (1+). In addition, the reactivity strengths of the eluates tested by SPRCA were invariably more strongly reactive than those eluates tested in PEG. Panagglutination is a distinct SPRCA-only plasma reactivity pattern. Despite a negative PEG tube and DAT, most panagglutinins are warm-reactive autoantibodies. Fortunately, these “interfering” panagglutinins do not appear to be clinically significant and are easily managed by an alternative testing method such as PEG.

Evaluation of solid-phase panreactivity with negative direct antiglobulin testing

Immunohematology

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Solid-phase red cell adherence (SPRCA) is a sensitive platform for antibody detection, but nonspecific reactions may occur. One pattern of apparent nonspecific...

Demographic characteristic	Value	Percentage of total (n)
Gender, n
Female	14	70
Male	6	30
Average age, years (range)
Overall	44 (23–76)	100 (20)
Female patients	37 (23–62)	70 (14)
Female patients minus pregnant patients	51 (39–62)	20 (4)
Male patients	62 (45–76)	30 (6)
Primary diagnosis, n
Pregnancy	10	50
Acute bleeding	4	20
Orthopedic	3	15
Other*	3	15

Test name	Number	Percentage of total
SPRCA panel reactivity*
1 +	7	35
2 +	6	30
3+	7	35
Eluate testing
PEG	11 panagglutinins	55
SPRCA	17 panagglutinins	85

Evaluation of solid-phase panreactivity with negative direct antiglobulin testing

Article Category: Original Report

Publié en ligne: 29 déc. 2023

Pages: 151 - 154

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/immunohematology-2023-022

© 2023 J.T. Little et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Study patient demographic data

Study patient serologic data