xMAP® Technology-based test delivers molecular profile of 37 antigens for highest quality matches
For patients with sickle cell disease, regular blood transfusions can mitigate the effects of a debilitating and life-threatening condition. Unfortunately, matching the right donor blood to the right recipient may be highly challenging. When these matches are not ideal, patients can develop antibodies to other blood groups, restricting the compatible donor pool for future transfusions. In the worst cases, patients become resistant to all other blood groups through alloimmunization and are no longer eligible for this lifesaving treatment.
Situations like these are Grifols’ specialty. A pioneer in transfusion medicine founded in 1909, Grifols is a leading global healthcare company that develops plasma-derived medicines and other biopharmaceutical solutions. Grifols Laboratory Solutions is a small division of the organization that runs a laboratory-developed test for blood group genotyping.
Comprehensive Blood Typing for Sickle Cell Patients Using Genotyping
Typically, blood typing is performed by analyzing the red blood cells of a blood donor or patient. However, for many patients—including those with sickle cell disease—who have had numerous prior transfusions or take certain therapies, this process does not produce reliable results. For these cases, establishing blood type by genotyping generates far more comprehensive and accurate information that can be used to support higher-quality matches between blood donor and recipient.
Blood typing has come a long way in recent decades, well beyond the simple ABO grouping that were once considered the gold standard. With genotyping, it is now possible to improve the quality of matches with additional information about Rh, K, and other relevant antigens. The American Society of Hematology now recommends this kind of extensive profiling for sickle cell patients to ensure they get the best-matched transfusions, which are less likely to trigger an alloimmunization response.
Blood Donor Matching with xMAP-Powered Blood Type Profiling
At Grifols Laboratory Solutions in San Marcos, Texas, laboratory technicians run BGG Navigator, a 37-plex antigen test, to perform comprehensive blood type profiling. They use xMAP® multiplexing technology from Luminex as the foundation for this test to maximize the information generated while minimizing sample volume needed. The test is now a defined benefit with reimbursement through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
The Grifols laboratory team uses the test most often to screen potential blood donors. “It takes a lot of donors to help the 100,000 or so people with sickle cell disease in the US that need exchange transfusions,” says Greg Denomme, Laboratory Director at Grifols Laboratory Solutions. Sickle cell patients typically undergo this process once or twice per month, needing six to eight blood units each time.
Improving Turnaround Time for Blood Type Results with Dedication and Innovation
Despite the excellent results of the BGG Navigator test, the Grifols team remains dedicated to improving it. Currently, Denomme’s focus is on reducing turnaround time from what’s possible with current operations—less than three days—to a single day for same-day reporting of results. Every opportunity to deliver better results faster makes a real difference for patients. Getting better-matched donor blood to sickle cell patients could save millions of dollars in healthcare costs, improve quality of life, and potentially even extend a patient’s life significantly, says Kevin Jaglinski, Commercial Director for the Grifols Laboratory Solutions. “It’s a big deal how this one test can have a massive impact,” he adds.
The same test is important for cases beyond sickle cell disease. Patients with hematological malignancies such as lymphoma who take immunotherapies often need genotypic blood typing since their red blood cells can be impaired by treatment.
Learn more about the BGG Navigator test or about how xMAP Technology offers industry-leading multiplexing capabilities for genomic and proteomic assays.
For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.