Original Article

Determining the FY*BES Allele in Iranian Sickle Cell Disease Patients to Enhance Matching Blood Transfusion

Abstract

Background: Duffy antibodies play a significant role in hemolytic transfusion reactions and hemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn, Duffy(FY) blood group genotyping an essential part of transfusion medicine. The purpose of this study was to assess the importance of Duffy (FY) DNA typing in conducting transfusion compatibility testing and improving Red Blood Cell matching during transfusion.

Materials and Methods: In this study, 135 blood samples from SCD patients from the Southwest of Iran were included. All samples were tested with Anti-Fya and Anti-Fyb using the hemagglutination technique, and 64 samples with the fy(a+b-) and fy(a-b-) phenotypes were genotyped using DNA sequencing methods.

Results: The prevalence of alloimmunization in this population was 13.04%. fy(a-b+) was the most common phenotype (37/135, 27.4%), followed by fy(a+b-) (35/135, 26%), fy(a+b+) (34/135, 25.2%); and fy(a-b-) (29/135, 21.4%). Among the 64 fy(a+b-) and fy(a-b-) samples, 40 (62.5%) patients had FY*BES allele. 21 out of 40 samples were FY*BES/FY*BES, 17 were FY*A/FY*BES, and 2 were FY*B/FY*BES.

Conclusions: The prevalence of GATA-1 mutation (FY*BES allele), in fy(a-b-) and fy(a+b-) patients was reported 62.5%. Therefore, it is possible to use the genotypic information as a database to facilitate the process of searching and supplying better-matched blood transfusion.

1. Jalali Far MA, Oodi A, Amirizadeh N, et al. The Rh blood group system and its role in alloimmunization rate among sickle cell disease and sickle thalassemia patients in Iran. Mol Genet Genomic Med. 2021;9(3):e1614.
2. Talano JAM, Hillery CA, Gottschall JL, et al. Delayed hemolytic transfusion reaction/hyperhemolysis syndrome in children with sickle cell disease. Pediatrics. 2003;111(6 Pt 1):e661-5.
3. Vafaei M, Keikhaei Dehdazi B. Frequency of red blood cell alloimmunization in sickle cell patients and healthy donors: The influence of racial and antigenic pattern differences. Int J Community Med Public Health. 2017;4(7):2226-9.
4. Castilho L. The value of DNA analysis for antigens in the Duffy blood group system. Transfusion. 2007;47(1 Suppl):28S-31S.
5. Natukunda B. Red blood cell alloimmunization and antigen matching in sickle cell disease–the African perspective. ISBT Sci Ser. 2012;7(1):129-33.
6. Amini A, Nadali F, Dereikvand G. Prevalence determination of sickle cell trait by premarital screening at isfahan thalassemia prevention center. J Pathol Res. 2005;7(2);19-22.
7. Zandian KM, Pedram M, Hamadi H. An analysis of clinical and laboratory findings of hemoglobinopathies and their distribution in khozestan provience. Jundishapur Sci Med J . 2005;0(43):7-14
8. Alkindi S, AlMahrooqi S, AlHinai S, et al. Alloimmunization in patients with sickle cell disease and thalassemia: experience of a single centre in Oman. Mediterr J Hematol Infect Dis. 2017;9(1):e2017013.
9. Wilkinson K, Harris S, Gaur P, et al. Molecular blood typing augments serologic testing and allows for enhanced matching of red blood cells for transfusion in patients with sickle cell disease. Transfusion. 2012;52(2):381-8.
10. Hazra S, Parveen PA, Lyngdoh B, et al. Importance of screening and identification of alloantibodies in multi-transfused patients of thalassemia major. Int J Hum Health Sci. 2021;5(2):230-4.
11. Chou ST, Alsawas M, Fasano RM, et al. American Society of Hematology 2020 guidelines for sickle cell disease: transfusion support. Blood Adv. 2020;4(2):327-55.
12. Kulkarni S, Choudhary B, Gogri H, et al. Molecular genotyping of clinically important blood group antigens in patients with thalassaemia. Indian J Med Res. 2018;148(6):713-720.
13. Zimmerman PA, Woolley I, Masinde GL, et al. Emergence of FY* A null in a Plasmodium vivax-endemic region of Papua New Guinea. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1999;96(24):13973-7.
14. Písačka M, Marinov I, Králová M, et al. FY* A silencing by the GATA‐motif variant FY* A (− 69C) in a Caucasian family. Transfusion. 2015;55(11):2616-9.
15. Sarihi R, Oodi A, Dadkhah Tehrani R, et al. Blood group genotyping in alloimmunized multi‐transfused thalassemia patients from Iran. Mol Genet Genomic Med. 2021;9(7):e1701.
16. Novaretti MC, Bonifacio SL, Medeiros VR, et al. Rapid Duffy Genotyping in Sickle Cell Disease Patients Using PCR-SSP Is a Valuable Tool for Blood Component Selection. Blood. 2007; 110(11):2901-2901.
17. Cotorruelo C, Biondi C, Racca L, et al. Duffy genotyping facilitates transfusion therapy. Clin Exp Med. 2009;9(3):249-51.
Files
IssueVol 19 No 1 (2025) QRcode
SectionOriginal Article(s)
DOI https://doi.org/10.18502/ijhoscr.v19i1.17818
Keywords
Sickle cell disease; FY*BES allele; Duffy
Rights and permissions
Creative Commons License This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
How to Cite
1.
Samadi Ivriq M, Oodi A, Mohammadi S, Keikhaei-Dehdazi B, Ahmadnezhad M, Jolharnejad S. Determining the FY*BES Allele in Iranian Sickle Cell Disease Patients to Enhance Matching Blood Transfusion. Int J Hematol Oncol Stem Cell Res. 2025;19(1):1-6.