World human neutrophil antigens investigation survey.

Background And Objectives: Human neutrophil antigens (HNAs) are categorized into five systems: HNA-1 to HNA-5. Given the importance of neutrophils in immunity, we sought to create awareness of the role of HNA diagnostic services in managing immune neutropenia and transfusion-related acute lung injury. To provide health communities all around the world with access to these services, we conducted a survey to create a directory of these HNA diagnostic services.

The level of heparin-induced antibodies in correlation with the result of the flow cytometric functional assay in the patients with suspected HIT.

Heparin can induce the formation of antibodies against a heparin complex with a platelet factor 4 (PF4), leading to platelet activation and the development of heparin-induced thrombocytopaenia (HIT). Because screening ELISA does not discriminate between platelet activating and non-activating anti-heparin/PF4 antibodies, each positive result is confirmed by an additional functional assay. We analysed 1004 sera of patients with suspected HIT.