Genotyping donor units

[BBNC17 12]

Our collection facility is going to start sending out patient samples and donor units for RBC genotyping on the Immucor Bioarray HEA system and I'm curious as to what this could mean.  Will they be able to label units based on the HEA results since it's FDA licensed?  will they still need to confirm serologically?  Will they need to run more than one donation from the donor to confirm the genotype ("predicted phenotype") before labeling it or confirming serologically?  How would this differ if they were using a non-licensed platform like the Grifols ID Core from Progenika?

Thanks for any guidance!

[John C. Staley 1,146]

I can not answer your questions but would like to ask a couple of my own.  I've been away long enough that I've not even heard of the Immucor Bioarray HEA system.  When and why would you send patient samples and donor units for this testing?  

[Gnapplec 15]

I have these questions as well. Did you hear anything back on this?

[Ensis01 120]

For donors; molecular testing provides a full predicted phenotype which becomes their historical phenotype. To send out labelled antigen negative units they need to be serologically confirmed. If there is no anti sera it will be labelled to that effect I.e. “historically negative by molecular methods”.  This will efficiently provide the supplier more combinations of antigen negative units. Though they will proberbly still screen for the Rh and only send out if good. 

Another very important and useful part of the information molecular testing provides is the antigen variant information for both donor and patient (several other threads on this!).

Also If the volume sent out is high enough it may be less expensive and provide more information than the usual full serological phenotype.