RHD genotyping and its implication in transfusion practice.

Background: The limitations of serology can be overcome by molecular typing. In order to evaluate the contribution of RH systematic genotyping and its implication in transfusion practice, a genotyping of D- blood donors was initiated.

Methods: Blood samples were collected from 400 unrelated D- individuals.

Weak D in the Tunisian population.

Background: More than 90 weak D types have been discovered to date. As there are no published data on the frequencies of weak D types in the Tunisian population, the aim of this study was to determine the composition of weak D alleles in our population.

Material And Methods: Blood samples from 1777 D+ and 223 D- blood donors were tested for markers 809G, 1154C, 8G, 602G, 667G, 446A, and 885T relative to translation start codon by polymerase chain reaction with sequence-specific primers to estimate the frequencies of weak D type 1, weak D type 2, weak D type 3, weak D type 4, weak D type 5 and weak D type 11 in our population.

(C)ce(s) haplotype screening in Tunisian blood donors.

Background: The (C)ce(s) haplotype, mainly found in black individuals, contains two altered genes: a hybrid RHD-CE-D(s) gene segregated with a ce(s) allele of RHCE with two single nucleotide polymorphisms, c. 733C>G (p.Leu245Val) in exon 5 and c.

RHD alleles in the Tunisian population.

Background: A comprehensive survey of RHD alleles in Tunisia population was lacking. The aim of this study was to use a multiplex RHD typing assay for simultaneous detection of partial D especially with RHD/RHCE deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) sequence exchange mechanism and some weak D alleles.

Materials And Methods: Six RHD specific primer sets were designed to amplify RHD exons 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 9.