[Clinical and serological analyses of 70 erythrocyte allo-antibodies to MNS blood group system].

Objective: To explore the occurrence and clinical significance of erythrocyte allo-antibodies to MNS blood group system among hospitalized patients in China.

Methods: The specificity and clinical features of erythrocyte allo-antibodies detected from August 2009 to July 2012 were retrospectively analyzed.

Results: A total of 187 erythrocyte allo-antibodies were detected from 66 042 hospitalized patients (0.28%) among which 70 (37.4%) were specific to MNS blood group system. Antibody frequencies were as follows: anti-M, 18.2%; anti-Mi(a), 18.2%; anti-S, 1.1%. Anti-Mi(a) was more frequent among transfused patients (16/34 vs 5/34, P = 0.004), and tended to be accompanied by other allo-antibodies.

Conclusions: Antibodies to MNS blood group system are second only to Rh system as the most common erythrocyte allo-antibodies in China. And anti-Mi(a) is an important transfusion-related allo-antibody among the patients of southern ancestry.