Abstract The red blood cell (RBC) antigen Wr a is low-prevalence first described in 1953 by Holman and assigned to the Diego system 1995. Because of its low prevalence, usually absent on commercial screening RBCs antibody identification panels. When Wr(a+) are available, corresponding antibody, anti-Wr , often found sera from healthy individuals, patients, pregnant women. Anti-Wr can cause both...

This study in French Guiana assessed the frequency of alloimmunization to red cell antigens in sickle cell disease patients over 1995-2011 and identified the most common antibodies. A retrospective analysis of the transfusion history and medical records of 302 patients showed that 29/178 transfused patients had developed alloantibodies (16%). The most frequent alloantibodies were anti-LE1, anti...