Bead Array Test for Typing Blood Donors

A new human erythrocyte antigen (HEA) test provides rapid and comprehensive DNA typing of blood donors, according to a recent study.

Compared to currently available methods, the BeadChip test, comprising a set of 18 genetic markers, reliably produced results equivalent to those of serologic hemagglutination or manual restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) and allele-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis of individual markers, but in a manner that substantially accelerated throughput. The results were reported in the May 2005 issue of Transfusion.

Historically, typing for blood group antigens has been performed by hemagglutination. However, testing relies on increasingly scarce supplies of costly reagents and on labor-intensive methods; and currently available molecular methods have low rates of sample throughput. As a result, the number of donors typed for minor blood group antigens and the supply of antigen-negative red blood cell products for patients who have produced a specific "alloantibody” is limited.

The new HEA BeadChip test utilizes a microparticle array with probes targeting 17 mutations within human erythrocyte antigens. The assay format can generate a complete red cell antigen genotype in less than five hours for sets of eight or sets of 96 samples.

"We believe that this study has demonstrated the feasibility of using our BeadChip format and automated assay delivery system in a clinical setting to reliably determine the DNA type of large numbers of donors at the rate of throughput required in transfusion medicine,” said Michael Seul, Ph.D., president of BioArray Solutions (Warren, NJ, USA), which developed the test.





Related Links:
BioArray Solutions