The quality assurance of antiglobulin reactions with Fab-sensitized reagent red blood cells.

The production, function, and use of a new antiglobulin control cell is described. The cells are sensitized with monovalent Fab (fragment, antigen-binding) fragments and can be agglutinated by active antiglobulin serum only. In contrast to commercial antiglobulin control cells, which are frequently associated with false-positive results, the reactivity of the Fab-sensitized cells is entirely specific. It is concluded that Fab-sensitized cells provide greater quality assurance than currently available reagents.