Caracterization of RH variant haplotypes: importance in Transfusion Medicine

Abstract

Permanent migration among the inhabitants of Brazil and Argentina has a direct impact on public health. In the group of patients who currently seek transfusion medicine services in Brazil, we have observed specific red blood cell phenotype and genotypes from Argentine population and vice versa. This variability is responsible, on some occasions, for alloimmunizationevents and reduction of the transfusion efficiency. Whereas the Rh system has a wide allelic variability interpopulation, it is logical to think that RH polymorphic is more complex in Latin America, dominated by the large miscegenation among Amerindian, African and Caucasian ethnicity. This knowledge can define the molecular basis for the development of tools to optimize the molecular compatibility, especially in patients who require chronic transfusion. The identification altered RH haplotypes immunized patients will improve the transfusion compatibility by increasing the survival of the transfused red blood cells, maintaining higher hemoglobin levels. In this project of cooperation we are proposing to characterize the molecular polymorphic of the RH locus in patients with variants, define RH aberrant haplotypes, establish their relationship with Amerindian and African clusters and analyze their involvement in red cell all immunization. (AU)