Red Cell Alloimmunisation Among Sickle Cell Disease and Thalassemia Patients Following Rh- and K-Matched Red Cell Transfusion in Southwestern Saudi Arabia: A Multicenter Study.

Background: Alloimmunisation remains a major consequence of blood transfusion among sickle cell disease (SCD) and thalassemia patients due to the exposure to non-self-red blood cell (RBC) antigen. The complication is associated with transfusion reactions and delayed transfusion procedure because of the difficulty of finding compatible blood. This study aims to determine the prevalence of alloimmunisation to RBC and alloantibody specificities among SCD and thalassemia patients in, an endemic area of SCD and thalassemia, Jazan province of Saudi Arabia, from three major hospitals.