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

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.

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.

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: For pretransfusion testing, ABO and D antigen tests along with unexpected antibody screening tests are performed. When unexpected antibodies are identified, selection for specific antigen-negative blood units is needed in order to ensure safety of transfusion. METHODS: A questionnaire survey was conducted from August 23 to September 10, 2012 in 36 medical institutes in order to evaluate the current status of management for specific antigen-negative blood units in Korea. The questionnaire consisted of a method for detection of unexpected antibodies, the number of antibodies identified in the last year, and the antigen tests performed for specific antigen-negative blood units. For the institutes where blood donations are obtained, we asked about the enrollment of donors for specific antigen-negative or rare blood types. RESULTS: Among the 36 institutes, antigen testing for specific antigen-negative blood units was performed in 20 institutes. Of the remaining 15 institutes, except for one institute which answered as not applicable, eight institutes requested blood units at blood centers and another seven institutes replaced antigen tests with crossmatching tests. Among the 21 institutes where blood donations are obtained, two institutes had enrolled donors for specific antigen-negative or rare blood types. CONCLUSION: For selection of specific antigen-negative blood units for recipients who have identified antibodies, standardization of antibody detection tests and antigen tests is needed. In addition, the accurate antigen frequency in the Korean population should be investigated and donors for specific antigen-negative or rare blood types should be enrolled and managed systematically. Following these efforts, practical measures for obtaining specific antigennegative blood units could be suggested for medical institutes in Korea.
Academies and Institutes ; Antibodies ; Blood Donors ; Humans ; Korea* ; Mass Screening ; Methods ; Tissue Donors ; Surveys and Questionnaires

BACKGROUND: Screening for healthy blood donors through donor interviews is essential to the safety of donors and blood resources. Our goal was to suggest educational material for donor interviewers and donors, as well as supplemental material for interview sites, which will help provide an effective interview process. METHODS: We conducted surveys regarding experiences in donor interviews from donor interviewers and cognitive interviews about difficulties during interview from blood donors between September and October of 2015. We additionally conducted a post-survey about provided educational and supplemental materials between December 2015 and January 2016. RESULTS: The possibility of an incorrect answer in the donor history questionnaire (DHQ) was high for questions about sexual contact, imprisonment, or medication, and the reasons were incorrect memories, ignorance about donor interview, or protection of privacy. Cognitive interviews of donors revealed questions and terminology that are difficult to understand. Donor interviewers could obtain improved understanding of the DHQ through educational materials, which were found to be useful for new interviewers or donors. Use of a supplemental flip book for the interview process was found to be useful, especially for blood centers with small blood donations. CONCLUSION: This study investigated difficulties in the donor interview from the perspective of donor interviewers and donors and suggested educational and supplemental materials to address these difficulties. These materials will induce correct and honest answers from blood donors through education and guidance about the donor interview process and help secure the safety of blood products.
Blood Donors* ; Cognition ; Education ; Humans ; Mass Screening ; Privacy ; Tissue Donors*

BACKGROUND: Alloimmunization of human platelet antigens (HPA) is associated with clinically significant disease, such as platelet refractoriness, neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia, or posttransfusion purpura. It is determined by single nucleotide polymorphism of genes for platelet membrane glycoprotein. To date, approximately 27 HPAs have been discovered, and their frequencies differ depending on ethnicity and country. METHODS: We conducted an investigation of prevalence of HPA in the Korean population using a multiplex single-base primer extension reaction (SNaPshot). With 84 specimens from healthy donors, HPA genotyping was performed on 11 different HPAs, including HPA-1, -2, -3, -4, -5, -6, -7, -8, -9, -13, and -15. RESULTS: A total of 90 blood samples were genotyped. The genotype frequencies of HPA were as follows: HPA-1a/1a: 100.0%, -2a/2a: 83.3%, -2a/2b: 14.3%, -2b/2b: 2.4%, -3a/3a: 39.3%, -3a/3b: 52.4%, -3b/3b: 8.3%, -4a/4a: 100.0%, -5a/5a: 95.2%, -5a/5b: 4.8%, -6a/6a: 94.0%, -6a/6b: 6.0%, -7a/7a: 100.0%, -8a/8a: 100.0%, -9a/9a: 97.6%, -9a/9b: 2.4%, -13a/13a: 100.0%, -15a/15a: 23.8%, -15a/15b: 51.2%, and -15b/15b: 25.0%. CONCLUSION: The SNaPshot assay was employed for detection of SNPs in various clinically significant HPA genes. In addition to well-known frequencies of previously reported HPA-1 to -8, this study showed frequencies of HPA-9, -13, and -15 in Koreans for the first time. The SNaPshot technique might be suitable for use in actual clinical testing in patients with platelet alloimmunization.
Antigens, Human Platelet ; Blood Platelets ; Genotype ; Humans ; Membrane Glycoproteins ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Prevalence ; Purpura ; Purpura, Thrombocytopenic ; Thrombocytopenia, Neonatal Alloimmune ; Tissue Donors