What do you call an 'unidentified' antibody?

[kirkaw 58]

Greetings,

This may be just semantics, but I am wondering what you call an antibody that does not have an identified specificity. This could apply to plasma that has demonstrated reactivity in the antibody screen but not the antibody panel or for plasma whose reactivity does not fit a pattern (and all clinically significant antibodies are ruled out).

One of our techs calls these 'HLA antibodies' or 'HTLA antibodies' but I tend to call them nonspecifics. I have heartburn over calling these something that I am not sure they are.

Anyone else have thoughts on this terminology? Does it really matter?

Thanks!

[goodchild 529]

We have a mnemonic that displays in the medical record: "antibody of undetermined specificity".

 

My medical director was averse to the idea of using 'non-specific' because there may be a specificity that we simply aren't able to identify. We also chose against 'Inconclusive'. I'm curious of how other people approach this subject. Semantics definitely matters in this context.

[SMILLER 869]

We used to use the term "nonspecific", but switched to "equivocal" some years ago. 

 

Scott

[David Saikin 1,406]

I use "specificity not determined" (most often occurs with a cold aggl) but may be an HTLA ab.  If I think the latter I will enzyme pretreat and, based on those results, I may give a tentative id along with the serology I used to determine such.

[StevenB 118]

When we come across these, we use the term: "Antibody of undetermined specificity and unknown clinical significance".

[KatarinaN 11]

Straight translation for our term is "unknown antibody" but the meaning is close to "antibody of undetermined specifity", so quite same as stated before. 

[AMcCord 1,274]

Our reference lab uses "Antibody of undetermined specificity. All common clinically significant antibodies ruled out." We've adopted this phrase for use here. If the antibody is reactive with solid phase but not with PeG, I will add that it is a solid phase reactive antibody of undetermined specificity, etc. etc. If I get one or two reactive cells total on the antibody screen and ID panels I may add the comment that the antibody may be directed against a low incidence antigen.

 

For OB patients I also add the comment that the clinical significance of the antibody is unknown. We do send some of the OB cases to reference for workups (though usually not the solid phase only examples) - occasionally they will ID a specific antibody directed against a low incidence antigen which allows a more informed report as to clinical significance.

Edited October 1, 2015 by AMcCord

[jojo808 45]

We use "Inconclusive" Antibody Identification, when all significant alloantibodies are ruled out. 

[Dr. Pepper 910]

I was never a fan of "Nonspecific". Antibodies have specificities; sometimes we're just not clever enough to figure out what they are. We use unidentified.

[Rita 10]

We also report out "Antibody of undetermined specificity"

[Joanne P. Scannell 219]

Since all antibodies have a specificity, we don't use the old term 'non-specific'.  If we don't know 'its name', we report one of the following as applies to the workup:

• Cold Antibody: Undetermined Specificity
• Cold Auto-Antibody: Undetermined Specificity
• Warm Auto-Antibody: Undetermined Specificity
• Antibody Detected: Too Weak to Identify at this Time
• Possible HLA/HTLA Antibodies
• Antibody Detected: No Identification at this Time

[MAGNUM 91]

We report as "Unidentified at this time"

[heathervaught 62]

I'm a fan of Serum Hemagglutinin of Indeterminate Type...

 

 

But I really like this one, too.

On October 1, 2015 at 8:07 AM, AMcCord said:

Our reference lab uses "Antibody of undetermined specificity. All common clinically significant antibodies ruled out."

 

[Maureen 28]

Our LIS terminology is 'Antibody not identified'.

[Malcolm Needs ★ 4,846]

What unidentified antibodies??????????????????????????????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[SMILLER 869]

You know, an antibody that is causing a reaction or reactions with cells and it still CANT BE IDENTIFIED.  Sheesh!

Anyway, we have been using the term "equivocal" for those leftover positives that don't seem to add up to anything.

Scott

 

[Malcolm Needs ★ 4,846]

Love it Scott!

I meant we identify ALL of our antibodies!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[jojo808 45]

We call it "Unidentified antibody" all significant alloantibodies ruled out.

Kind of like a "UFO".

[Likewine99 132]

All common clinically significant antibodies ruled out.  This reports back to the EHR