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Donor Diversity.

Ensuring a diverse blood donor pool is a critical priority for the blood community.

A diverse donor pool is important because blood goes beyond common blood types: A+, A-, B+, B-, AB+, AB-, O+ and O-. There are actually 60 different blood group system. 

Dancing Hands

Why We Need Ethnically Diverse Blood

  • Blood type is inherited; therefore, a compatible donor is often someone of a similar ethnic background.

  • One of the most important and persistent complications of blood transfusion is red blood cell (RBC) alloimmunization. When a patient is exposed to RBC antigens that differ from their own they can form alloantibodies to these foreign antigens. 

  • Minority populations who require chronic transfusion are at particularly high risk of alloimmunization when the blood donor population does not share the same ancestral background, resulting in exposure to non-self RBC antigens.

  • Rare Blood types: Blood that lacks a common antigen that is common in the general population can make blood rare. 

African Ancestry Rare Blood 

MNS System

S-s-U-

2% Prevalence

Anti-U Can cause mild to severe transfusion reactions and hemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn (HDFN) 

Rh System

hrS-

1% Prevalence

Anti-hrS can cause no to fatal transfusion reactions.

hrB-

3% Prevalence

Generally not clinically significant.

Ro Blood

D+C-E-c+e+

Only found in 4% of donors and may be vital for the many patient with sickle cell disease.

Kell System

Jsb-

20% Prevalence

Anti-Jsb can cause mild to moderate/delayed transfusion reactions and mild to severe HDFN.

Duffy System

Fy(a-b-)

68% Prevalence

Polynesian, Pacific Island and Asian

Kidd System

Jk(a-b-) or JKnull

Prevalence 0.9%

Can cause no to severe transfusion reactions.

Chinese Ethnicity and Thai Ethnicity

MNS System

Mur-

The prevalence in Chinese ethnicity is 7% and 10% in Thai ethnicity. 

Anti-Mur has the potential to cause severe hemolytic transfusion reactions and HDFN.

Southeast Asia

H system

H- or Bombay (Oh)

The frequency is 1 in 10,000.

The individuals lack A, B, or H antigens.

Anti-H can trigger a severe transfusion reaction.

South Americans

Diego System

Di(b-)

Prevalence is rare but may be more prevalent in this population.

InDigenous

MNS System

Mur-

Up to 88% in some indigenous people

Anti-Mur has the potential to cause severe hemolytic transfusion reactions and HDFN.

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Rh System

RzRz

D+C+E+c-e-

Prevalence is <5 in 10,000

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HIspanic
 

Diego System

Di(b-)

Prevalence is rare but may be more prevalent in this population.

Melanesians

Gerbich System

Ge:-2, -3

May be up to 50-90%

Amish 

P1PK System

PP1Pk-

Anti-PP1Pk is a rare antibody (5.8 per  million people). In the Amish population the incidence is approximately 1 in 5000 individuals. This antibody can cause immediate hemolytic transfusion reactions and early spontaneous abortions..

Indian

Indian System

In(b-)

Prevalence is rare but may be more prevalent in this population.

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