Purpose of review: This review summarizes recent developments in blood grouping and compatibility testing in transfusion medicine.
Recent findings: Identification of the molecular characteristics of the major human blood groups has provided an opportunity to develop methods for blood group phenotyping using DNA-based technology. Various studies have demonstrated the feasibility of such an approach and have demonstrated the potential to change current procedures for identifying compatible blood, both in routine settings and in highly immunized patients, for whom compatible blood is difficult to obtain. In the obstetric setting, isolation of cell-free DNA from maternal plasma for fetal blood grouping provides a minimally invasive method for determining the risk for haemolytic disease in the newborn. Recombinant technology for synthesizing blood group proteins, although in its infancy, has the potential to change longstanding antibody identification procedures.
Summary: The molecular revolution occurring throughout medicine is broadly manifest in all areas of transfusion medicine and should contribute to transfusion safety.