The platelet‐specific alloantigen Pl_A1 (HPA‐1a): a comparison of flow cytometric immunophenotyping and genotyping using polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism in a Swedish blood donor population

Abstract

BACKGROUND: There is an increasing interest in the development of rapid and reliable techniques for platelet alloantigen typing. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: By use of standardized flow cytometry and a specific human alloantiserum, 236 Swedish blood donors were immunophenotyped for the platelet-specific alloantigen, PlA1 (HPA-1a). RESULTS: Ten individuals (4.2%) had low fluorescence intensities and were considered PlA1-negative (HPA-1a-negative); all of them also demonstrated a PlA2/PlA2 (HPA-1b/1b) genotype in a polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) assay of the underlying DNA polymorphism. The remaining population had clear positive fluorescence and was regarded as PlA1-positive (HPA-1a-positive). The fluorescence distribution histogram among PlA1-positive (HPA-1a-positive) individuals was dome-shaped, and those individuals who were homozygous for PlA1 (HPA-1a) could not be distinguished from those who were heterozygous. This finding was further substantiated by PCR-RFLP analysis of the PlA1/PlA2 (HPA-1a/1b) genotype; a heterozygous genotype was found among those having a medium fluorescence intensity as well as among those having a strong fluorescence intensity. CONCLUSION: Flow cytometry is a valuable tool for large-scale detection of PlA1 (HPA-1a). However, flow cytometry based on only one antiserum cannot distinguish between homozygous and heterozygous carriers of PlA1 (HPA-1a). For zygosity testing and when platelets are difficult to obtain, the PCR-RFLP technique is the assay of choice.