Familial pseudohyperkalemia (FP) is a dominantly inherited condition caused by variants in the gene ABCB6 resulting in red blood cell (RBC) membrane protein defects. FP is generally asymptomatic. However, FP RBCs have an increased permeability to monovalent cations when stored below 37°C. Transfusion of RBC components donated by FP individuals can induce hyperkalemia and may be causally related to transfusion-associated hyperkalemic cardiac arrest, particularly in neonates and infants. Therefore it is necessary to accurately evaluate the frequency of FP occurrence in the Korean population and assess whether FP RBCs have significantly higher supernatant potassium levels. Efforts should be made to recognize the effects of blood products collected from FP donors on blood transfusion recipients to reduce the risk of hyperkalemia, especially in fetuses, infants, and patients at risk of this condition.

All living creatures on this planet, from bacteria to human, produce sugar chains (glycans). This means that sugar chains are essential for living a life. Abundant, diverse, and highly regulated repertoire of glycans are synthesized by glycosylation process in cells. Located in proteins (N-glycans and O-glycans) and lipids (glycosphingolipids), glycans participate in many vital biological processes including molecular recognition, cell adhesion, molecular trafficking and clearance, receptor activation, and signal transduction. Histo-blood group antigens that are composed of sugar chains are expressed under the control of the Secretor, Lewis and ABO glycosyltransferases. They play important roles in microbial infections and cancers. Many of sugar chains associated with histo-blood group antigens are exploited as receptors for microorganisms. Aberrant glycosylation of proteins and lipids occurs commonly during malignant transformation and leads to the expression of tumor-associated glycans. In this review, over the scope of transfusion medicine, we discussed deep down the biologic meaning of sugar chains, through exploring how the sugar chains are synthesized, structured, and functioning.
Bacteria ; Biological Processes ; Cell Adhesion ; Glycosylation ; Glycosyltransferases ; Humans ; Planets ; Polysaccharides ; Signal Transduction ; Transfusion Medicine

No abstract available.
Base Sequence ; Benzamides/therapeutic use ; Bone Marrow/pathology ; Female ; Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl/*genetics ; Humans ; Karyotyping ; Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive/drug therapy/*genetics ; Middle Aged ; Philadelphia Chromosome ; Piperazines/therapeutic use ; Protein Kinase Inhibitors/therapeutic use ; Pyrimidines/therapeutic use ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Thiazoles/therapeutic use ; Translocation, Genetic

BACKGROUND: Molecular epidemiological typing of Neisseria gonorrhoeae is crucial for monitoring the spread of resistant strains. As reference strains can be used for laboratory internal quality control, we genetically characterised the American Type Culture Collection (ATCC) gonococcal strains by Neisseria gonorrhoeae multiantigen sequence typing (NG-MAST) and porB sequence typing using public multilocus sequence typing (PubMLST). METHODS: Eight ATCC gonococcal reference strains (ATCC 19424, ATCC 31426, ATCC 35541, ATCC 43069, ATCC 43070, ATCC 49226, ATCC 49926, and ATCC 49981) from Culti-Loops (Thermo Fisher Scientific, USA) were cultured. After DNA extraction, porB and tbpB were amplified and sequenced. Sequence types (STs) and allele numbers were each determined by NG-MAST (http://www.ng-mast.net) and porB sequence typing using PubMLST (http://pubmlst.org/neisseria/porB/). RESULTS: ATCC 19424 was identified as ST 266 by NG-MAST, and as Allele 946 by PubMLST. ATCC31426 was assigned a novel ST by NG-MAST, and was assigned Allele 958 with 1.2% mismatch by PubMLST. ATCC 35541 was identified as ST 12 by NG-MAST, and as Allele 624 by PubMLST. ATCC 43069 and ATCC 43070 were both identified as ST 681 by NG-MAST, and as Allele 984 by PubMLST. ATCC 49226 was identified as ST 1572 by NG-MAST, and as Allele 2110 by PubMLST. ATCC 49926 and ATCC 49981 were both identified as ST 16496 by NG-MAST, and as Allele 928 by PubMLST. CONCLUSIONS: The ST data obtained for ATCC gonococcal reference strains by NG-MAST and porB sequence typing using PubMLST can be used for quality assurance of molecular epidemiological typing in clinical microbiological laboratories.
Alleles ; DNA ; Multilocus Sequence Typing ; Neisseria gonorrhoeae ; Neisseria ; Quality Control

Leukoreduction is a process in which the white blood cells (WBCs) in cellular products are intentionally reduced to bring down the risk of adverse transfusion reactions, such as febrile nonhemolytic transfusion reactions or human leukocyte antigen alloimmunization. So far, Korea has not considered leukoreduction of plasma products. However there have been recommendations for leukoreduction to improve patient outcomes. The authors have experience in measuring WBCs and WBC fragment counts in plasma products and have shown that the WBC and their fragments could be efficiently removed using leukoreduction filters. Hence, it may be beneficial to begin discussions on the necessity of using leukoreduction of plasma products.

Background: According to the revision of the Blood Management Act in 2020, medical institutions that meet certain conditions are obliged to install a transfusion management division in Korea. Therefore, this study assessed the management status of the transfusion management division at major medical institutions. Methods: From August 7th to August 18th, 2021, a survey questionnaire was given to laboratory physicians of 10 major medical institutions in Korea, and the installation and operation of the transfusion management division were surveyed. Results: The medical institutions that participated in this survey completed a transfusion management division in the first half of the year. Doctors, nurses, and medical technologists were assigned as medical personnel, and all laboratory physicians were leading the work as the head of the transfusion management division. Regarding the tasks performed at the transfusion management division, all medical institutions conducted a transfusion appropriateness assessment, education related to transfusion, and adverse transfusion reactions. Most medical institutions had difficulties because there was an insufficient basis to calculate the workforce and budget in installing and operating the transfusion management division. Conclusion There are rarely reference materials for the practice and operation of the transfusion management division, which has no precedent in Korea, so it is often difficult for medical institutions to prepare it. This study will be a reference for medical institutions that need to install a transfusion management division in the future.Efforts should be made to legislate transfusion management fees focused on the academic community.

ABO-blood typing typically involves both front typing (cell typing) and back typing (serum typing) to ensure accurate determination of blood type. However, in neonates, back typing is frequently omitted due to their immature immune system. If an institution chooses red blood cells (RBCs) that match the neonate's blood type, omitting back typing could lead to unexplained cross-matching incompatibilities. Therefore, blood banks should be cautious with neonatal blood typing and transfusion practices to ensure transfusion safety.

OBJECTIVE: To survey care providers' preference between structured reporting (SR) and free-text reporting (FTR) for appendiceal computed tomography (CT) in adolescents and young adults. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An ethical committee approved this prospective study. The requirement for participant consent was waived. We distributed the Likert scale-based SR form delivering the likelihood of appendicitis across 20 hospitals through a large clinical trial. In the final phase of the trial, we invited 706 potential care providers to participate in an online survey. The survey questions included usefulness in patient management, communicating the likelihood of appendicitis, convenience, style and format, and overall preference. Logistic regression analysis was performed for the overall preference. Three months after the completion of the trial, we checked if the use of the SR was sustained. RESULTS: Responses were analyzed from 594 participants (175 attendings and 419 trainees; 225 radiologists, 207 emergency physicians, and 162 surgeons). For each question, 47.3–64.8% of the participants preferred SR, 13.1–32.7% preferred FTR, and the remaining had no preference. The overall preference varied considerably across the hospitals, but slightly across the departments or job positions. The overall preference for SR over FTR was significantly associated with attendings, SR experience for appendiceal CT, hospitals with small appendectomy volume, and hospitals enrolling more patients in the trial. Five hospitals continued using the SR in usual care after the trial. CONCLUSION: Overall, the care providers preferred SR to FTR. Further investigation into the sustained use of the SR is needed.
Adolescent ; Appendectomy ; Appendicitis ; Emergencies ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Prospective Studies ; Radiology Information Systems ; Surgeons ; Young Adult

BACKGROUND: When unexpected antibodies are identified, selection for specific antigen-negative blood units is needed in order to ensure transfusion safety. We estimated the number of blood units required for antigen testing to obtain specific antigen-negative units in Korean medical institutes. METHODS: We analyzed cases of selection for specific antigen-negative units for recipients who had antibodies identified in Seoul National University Bundang hospital from January 2008 to December 2010 and cases entered into the KRBP (Korean Rare Blood Program) online database from July 2013 to February 2014 from eight medical institutes. RESULTS: A total of 559 cases of 266 patients were analyzed. The antigen types requiring two units on average for one specific antigen-negative unit were E, P1, and Lea. Three units on average were required for one Fyb-negative blood unit, four units for one Jka-negative unit, four units for one Jkb-negative unit, 4.5 units for one Leb-negative unit, five units for one C-negative unit, six units for one M-negative unit, and seven units for one S-negative unit. In cases of obtaining specific antigen-negative units for more than one antigen type, three units on average were required for one E, c-negative unit and seven units for one C, e-negative unit. Other multiple antigen-negative units required up to 20 units. CONCLUSION: The accurate antigen-negative frequency in the Korean population should be investigated. Following this effort, the number of blood units required for selection of specific antigen-negative units could be predicted and practical measures for obtaining specific antigen-negative blood units could be suggested for Korean medical institutes.
Academies and Institutes* ; Antibodies ; Humans ; Korea ; Seoul

BACKGROUND: CD36 deficiency was first identified in a patient who showed refractoriness to HLA-matched platelet transfusion. CD36 deficiency can be divided into two subgroups. The type I phenotype is characterized by platelets and monocytes exhibiting CD36 deficiency. The type II phenotype lacks surface expression of CD36 in platelets only. In this study, the frequency of type I and type II CD36 deficiency in Koreans was evaluated. METHODS: A total of 220 samples were randomly selected from subjects who requested CBC testing from August 2013 to February 2014. The expression levels of CD36 on platelets and monocytes were analyzed by flow cytometry using FITC-conjugated CD36 antibodies. Correlation between the median fluorescence intensity of CD36 and the number of platelets or monocytes was evaluated using Pearson's correlation coefficient. RESULTS: Type I phenotype, lacking CD36 on platelets and monocytes, was present in 0.9% and type II, lacking CD36 on platelets, was present in 3.2%. The median fluorescence intensity of CD36 did not show correlation with the count of platelets or monocytes. CONCLUSION: Type I subjects may produce alloantibodies against CD36 following transfusion or pregnancy, leading to refractoriness to HLA-matched platelet transfusion, post-transfusion purpura, or neonatal immune thrombocytopenia. Studies to determine exact frequency of CD36 deficiency in Koreans, including a larger population, should be conducted, and more case reports on patients immunized against CD36 are also needed in order to elucidate the clinical importance and relevance of CD36 deficiency testing and the transfusion of CD36-deficient platelets.
Antibodies ; Blood Platelets ; Flow Cytometry ; Fluorescence ; Humans ; Isoantibodies ; Monocytes* ; Phenotype ; Platelet Transfusion ; Pregnancy ; Purpura ; Thrombocytopenia