Background : The serum should be tested with a platelet panel for identification of
platelet specific alloantibodies. Such platelet panels are not available from commercial
sources and can usually be made using platelets from local donor population. We
prepared the platelet panel by DNA genotyping for 5 major platelet specific antigens and
evaluated the detection ability of panel with clinical samples from patients showing the
refractoriness to platelet transfusion.
Methods : DNA genotyping of five major platelet specific
alloantigens(PlA, Ko, Bak, Pen, Br) was performed for ninety three donors
by reverse dot blot hybridization technique. For the evaluation of the panel we prepared,
we used the anti-platelet antibody positive sera detected by modified antigen capture
ELISA.
Results : The most frequently encountered genotypes of platelets are PlA1
/PlA2, Kob/Kob, Baka/
Bakb, Pena /pena, Brb /
Brb(36% of ninety three donor platelets tested). PlA2 and
Penballeles were not identified in this study. Two cases of
anti-Koa were identified using panel we prepared.
Conclusion : The genotyping of platelet alloantigens circumvented the limitation of
immunophenotyping by the general lack of quality typing antisera. It is impossible to
make a good panel which was composed entirely of five major platelet specific
alloantigen systems because the PIA2, Penb, and
Bra are very rare alleles in Koreans. But our panel can be used for the
identification of antibodies against Ko and/or Bak platelet antigen in patients with
platelet alloimmunization.