Abstract:
Currently, the methods for blood group antigens phenotyping are the standard tube, microplate and column agglutination methods. Nevertheless, the methods are expensive and required complicated and time-consuming processes. In this study, we developed a paper-based analytical device for red cell antigens typing (RBC Ag-typing profile PADs) of antigen D, K, C, E, c, e, Jka, Jkb and P1. The principle of the device is based on the present or absent of hemagglutination at the PADs detection zone where the antibody was pre-immobilized. The antigen positive RBCs react and agglutinate with their corresponding antibodies while the antigen negative RBCs fail to agglutinate and were eluted by phosphate buffer saline. The agglutinated or non-agglutinated RBC results can be visually read. The correctly results of RBC Ag-typing profile PADs for donor blood samples and panel cells (n = 50) were 100%, in comparison with standard tube method. The RBC Ag-typing profile PADs developed in this study is low cost, fast, easy to use, high throughput, economical and could be further developed for additional phenotyping of blood group systems such as MNS, Duffy etc. In addition, this method has a potential to be adapted to a large scale production and could be of great benefit to all blood banking laboratories.