Background: One of the major complications in thalassemia patients is alloimmunization, which occurs when the patient produces antibodies against transfused Red Blood Cells (RBCs). In the present study, the frequency of alloantibodies was investigated in patients with thalassemia major.
Methods: This cross-sectional retrospective study was performed on 99 multi-transfused patients with thalassemia major. An antibody screening test was carried out using a three-cell panel. Positive patients were followed up for antibody identification using an 11-cell panel. The information was finally analyzed using SPSS software version 16.0.
Results: Out of ninety-nine cases, 53 were female (53.53 %) and 46 were male (46.46 %). The patient’s mean age was 29.22±10.46 years with an age range of 2 to 61 years. Only 5.05% (n=5) had developed alloantibodies. The most common alloantibodies were anti-D, anti-E, anti-c, and anti-K. No significant correlation was seen between the presence of alloantibody and age, sex, blood type, and spleen condition.
Conclusion: Antibody production against RBC antigens is a common problem in multi-transfused thalassemia patients. Compatibility between antigens of the Kell and Rh blood group systems in donors and recipients can be one of the useful ways to prevent alloimmunization of blood recipients and the formation of unexpected antibodies against the donor’s red blood cells.
