Red Cell Alloimmunization in Repeatedly Transfused Sudanese Patients with Leukemia in Northern Sudan

BACKGROUND: Leukemia frequently causes anemia; thus patients need products containing normal blood or RBCs for treatment. Anti-red blood cell alloantibody formation is still a critical challenge in transfusion. OBJECTIVES: The current study aimed to investigate RBC alloantibodies in Sudanese leukemia patients who receive multiple blood transfusions at the cancer center in Dongola and Maroyee, Northern Sudan. MATERIALS AND METHODS: At the Northern State oncology center in Dongola and Maroyee, Sudan, an across-sectional descriptive study design was used. In this study, 100 leukemic patients who had received blood transfusions three times or more were enrolled. From each participant, Peripheral blood was drawn in amounts of 3 ml in EDTA vacutainer tubes for ABO blood group and Rh factor testing and 3 ml in non-additive containers for antibody screening and Alloantibody identification. All individuals’ ABO blood groups and Rh factors were determined using the slide method. Indirect Coombs test apply to detect alloantibodies by Polly Specific antihuman globulin reagents using tube method techniques. Alloantibody identification was performed by DiaMed-ID microtyping system. RESULTS: Incidence of alloimmunization was 11%, with 11 alloantibodies found in 11 patients. The most common alloantibody was kell (36.4%), followed by Lea (27.2%; 3/11), then P (18.2%; 2/11) and M (18.2%; 2/11). CONCLUSION: Anti kell antibody was the most prevalent alloantibody among leukemic patients with multiple transfusions.