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The prevalence of immunization to Duffy antigens in a population of known racial distribution
Author(s) -
SoslerMS S. D.,
Perkins J. T.,
Fong K.,
Saporito C.
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
transfusion
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.045
H-Index - 132
eISSN - 1537-2995
pISSN - 0041-1132
DOI - 10.1046/j.1537-2995.1989.29689318448.x
Subject(s) - serology , medicine , population , demography , ethnic group , antibody , rh blood group system , negroid , ethnic origin , antigen , immunization , racial group , immunology , environmental health , sociology , anthropology
A retrospective study at our hospital determined the race or ethnicity of patients seen in an 8‐year period who had formed antibodies to Duffy antigens. During that time, 9876 serologic investigations had been performed as a result of a positive direct or indirect antiglobulin test. Among these samples, sera from 45 previously transfused or pregnant patients contained anti‐Fy a and two contained anti‐Fy3. Twenty‐nine of the sera that contained anti‐Fy a (62%) were from blacks, 12 (25%) were from whites, and 6 (13%) were from Hispanics. Both examples of anti‐Fy3 were made by black patients. Red cells (RBCs) from 21 of the black patients were Fy(a−b−), those from 7 were Fy(a−b+), and those from 1 could not be phenotyped. RBCs from 17 of the non‐black patients were Fy(a−b+) and those from 1 could not be phenotyped. The population of transfused patients evaluated in this study was 47 percent black, 29 percent white, and 24 percent Hispanic. Calculations based on an expected Fy(a−) frequency of 88 percent in blacks, 33 percent in whites, and 20 percent in Hispanics predict that the racial makeup of the Fy(a−) population at our hospital would be 73 percent black, 18 percent white, and 9 percent Hispanic, which is not significantly different (p = 0.25) from the racial makeup of the patients forming anti‐Fy a and ‐Fy3. These data indicate that blacks make antibodies to Duffy antigens as frequently as non‐blacks.