Rhesus and Kell Phenotyping of Voluntary Blood Donors: Foundation of a Donor Data Bank.

OBJECTIVE To assess the Rhesus (Rh) and Kell (K) phenotype of voluntary blood donors and lay foundation of a data bank of voluntary blood donors. STUDY DESIGN Cross-sectional study. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY Blood Bank, The Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, in the year 2014. METHODOLOGY Voluntary blood donors were inducted after taking written informed consent. Three -5cc of EDTA anticoagulated blood sample was taken to phenotype red cells for C, c, E, e, and Kell antigens using antisera. [DiaMedSwitzerland]. RESULTS Hundred blood donors were included in the study. ABO blood groups of the donors were: O [37%], B [31%], A [21%] and AB [11%]. Ninety-seven percent were Rh D positive while 3% were Rh D negative; 'e' antigen had the highest frequency [99%], while 'E' antigen was the least frequent [19%]. The most common probable Rh phenotype was R1R1 ((DCe/DCe) in 44 [44%]. In the Kell system, all the donors [100%] had phenotype of K-k+. CONCLUSION The most common blood group was O +ve. The pattern of Rhesus antigen expression and phenotype found in this study was concordant to that reported previously from Asia. However, there was a much lower frequency of K antigen.