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Abstract
Background: Beta thalassemia major is a severe inherited hemoglobin disorder that needs lifelong regular blood transfusion. Although repeated transfusion improve patient survival and quality of life, they expose patients to foreign red cell antigens, which may result in alloimmunization. Development of alloantibodies renders the transfusion therapy complex in that it brings on board difficulty in cross-matching, delayed hemolytic reactions and reduced survival of transfused red blood cells.
Objective: To determine the prevalence and the type of alloantibodies in the patients of beta thalassemia major who are receiving multiple transfusions.
Methodology: The study was a cross-sectional study, which was conducted between March 2025 and June 2025 in the Department of Pathology, Fatima Jinnah Medical University and Thalassemia Center, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital Lahore. Simple random sampling was used to obtain the sample size of 170 diagnosed beta thalassemia major patients who had at least eight transfusion. ABO/Rh typing, Direct Antiglobulin Test (DAT), Indirect Antiglobulin Test (IAT), antibody screening and antibody identification were all done by using standard tube techniques and commercial cell panels. The data analysis was done with the assistance of SPSS version 25.
Results: Out of 170 patients, alloimmunization was detected in 22 (12.9%) patients. The most common alloantibodies identified were anti-E (31.8%), anti-K (22.7%), anti-D (18.2%), anti-C (13.6%), and anti-Jka (9.1%). The increasing age and increasing number of transfusion were also significantly related with alloimmunization (p<0.05).
Conclusion: Polytransfused beta thalassemia major patients were frequent Red cell alloimmunization. Regular screening of antibodies and supply of antigen-matched blood could decrease the number of complications during transfusion