A Rare Case of Anti-Kpa Antibody Identification in a Chinese Patient.

BACKGROUND

Here we present a rare case of anti-Kpa alloantibody identified in a Chinese individual, along with a literature review.

METHODS

An antibody identification test was conducted to clarify the antibody specificity. To further characterize this antibody, we assessed the reactivity of the patient's serum with relative antigen-positive red blood cells at different test phases. We also investigated the sensitivity of the antigen to DTT and papain. We separated the pa-tient's own RBCs from the transfused ones using capillary centrifugation and performed direct antiglobulin test and Kell blood group antigen detection.

RESULTS

The patient's Kell phenotype was Kp(a-b+), and an IgG-specific anti-Kpa antibody was identified, resulting from the transfusion of Kp(a+b+) allogeneic red blood cells (RBCs). The Kpa antigen on RBCs was susceptible to 0.2M DTT but not to papain.

CONCLUSIONS

This case highlights the presence of an anti-Kpa antibody in the Chinese population, suggesting that a reassessment of the frequency of this antigen in this demographic is warranted.