2020 Volume 69 Issue 3 Pages 445-450
The anti-Cob antibody, an antibody against low-frequency antigens, is known to cause hemolytic transfusion reactions. Here, we report a rare case involving the anti-Cob antibody. A 75-year-old man was admitted to our hospital for endarterectomy of the right femoral artery. Preoperative examinations for blood typing and irregular antibodies revealed that his blood type was type A and he was positive for RhD. He also showed a positive result in an irregular antibody examination; thus, identification of the antibody was performed. The presence of the irregular anti-Cob antibody was suspected because all the red blood cell reagents used were Co (b+), which explains the positive result for our patient’s serum. Then, we requested confirmation of the typing of the irregular antibody at the Kyushu Block Center of the Japan Red Cross, and the irregular antibody was proved to be the anti-Cob antibody at a later date. Although there was a request for four units of packed red blood cells for use during surgery, we did not have an anti-Cob reagent. Therefore, four units of packed red blood cells, which were negative in a cross-matching test, were prepared. Although two units of red blood cells were transfused during the operation, no obvious adverse reactions were observed. From our experience, it is necessary to consider the presence of an irregular antibody to low-frequency antigens when the result of a random antibody screening examination does not match the pattern on the antigen table.
