Description
Blood grouping reagents are solutions that are used to determine human blood group antigens (such as ABO, Rhesus, Kell, and MNS blood group antigens). The ABO and the RhD blood group systems are the most important blood groups in transfusions. Blood groups are characterised by either a carbohydrate molecule (such as the ABO blood group antigens) or a protein (such as most other antigens) on the surface of the human red cell. The ABO system consists of the A and B antigens and the RhD system has the D antigen. There are 4 ABO blood group types in total, which are O, A, B, and AB. The rhesus (RhD) reagents are used to detect the presence or absence of the D antigen on the surface of human red blood cells. Anti-A, Anti-B and, Anti-A, B reagents are used to determine the ABO blood group, whilst the different Anti-D reagents are used to determine the rhesus D phenotype. Anti-K and Anti-k (Cellano) reagents are used to detect antigens in the Kell blood group system.
