Is anyone really using Bg negative cells for antibody titers?

[LIMPER55]

Per the AABB Technical manual--"Avoid using Bg+ red cells because they may result in falsely high values, especially with sera from multiparous women."

Do you have difficulty finding cells that have the extended typing?

[Malcolm Needs ☆]

All the cells that are produced by NHSBT Reagents have been tested for the Bg(a) antigen at some point, and have been found to be negative (although, of course, the Bg antigens can be transient).

[Mabel Adams]

Wow. You get no reagent cells that are Bg(a) positive? To be so lucky. I guess Ortho lumps together all Bg antigens in their extended typing but one recent panel had 3 or more of the 11 cells listed as Bg positive! I'll admit that is the exception, rather than the rule but there are always some Bg positive cells on their panels and sometimes on their screen cells.

[Malcolm Needs ☆]

Yes, we are very lucky indeed. Just occasionally (because of the transiency of the antigens) a cell will slip through that is Bg(a+), but it is incredibly rare for this to happen.

Mind you, because it is so rare, it causes us a real headache when it does happen, as we so rarely see this.

[QCDan]

I see that note in the Technical manual also but only for the Anti-D titer for HDFN (method 5-3 ). It is not associated with the Antibody titration procedure (method 3-7).