American National Red Cross
Subject: Medical Laboratory Technology
ISSN: 0894-203X
eISSN: 1930-3955
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J.E. Courtney / J.L. Vincent / A.J. Indrikovs
Keywords : autocontrol testing, ID Micro Typing System™, ReACT™
Citation Information : Immunohematology. Volume 17, Issue 2, Pages 50-52, DOI: https://doi.org/10.21307/immunohematology-2019-544
License : (Transfer of Copyright)
Published Online: 14-October-2020
The incidence of positive autocontrol test results with column agglutination technology is a concern. This study investigates the incidence and significance of positive autocontrols in the ID Micro Typing System™(gel) and the Gamma ReACT™(ReACT). The study encompassed a total of 1021 randomly selected samples from patients and 95 samples from donors collected during 1 month. The autocontrol testing was carried out according to the manufacturer’s instructions for the column agglutination tests. The tube method was carried out using low-ionic-strength solution (LISS). The direct antiglobulin test (DAT) was performed using the tube method, and further investigated with elution studies if warranted. Seventy-nine patient’s samples (7.74%) had a positive autocontrol: the gel test, 72 (91.13%); ReACT, 21 (26.58%); and the tube method, 27 (34.18%). Of the 79 positive autocontrols, 44 samples had a negative DAT. Of the samples with positive DAT results, only one possessed a clinically significant antibody, anti-D. Moreover, the same sample also tested positive in all three methods. Column agglutination techniques have increased sensitivity for a positive autocontrol beyond the conventional tube method. However, ReACT and gel tests differ significantly in their frequency of positives. Investigation of the significance of a positive autocontrol in column agglutination technology when the conventional tube method is also positive is suggested.