DETERMINATION OF THE BLOOD-GROUP DEA-1.1 AND ITS IMPORTANCE IN DOGS

Many blood group systems have been described in dogs which are referre d to as DEA (dog erythrocyte antigen) followed by a number. DEA 1.1 is the most immunogenic and clinically important of all the blood types. Dogs have no clinically important naturally occurring alloantibodies against DEA 1.1. Alloantibodies may, however, develop after sensitizin g the recipient by a mismatched transfusion. Therefore, DEA 1.1-negati ve dogs should only receive DEA 1.1-negative blood. A test card method was recently developed to type for DEA 1.1. In the present study, the blood type DEA 1.1 was tested in 78 healthy and 10 anemic dogs and th e results were compared with a reference method. 45 dogs were DEA 1.1 positive and 42 DEA 1.1 negative. One dog could not be tested due to a utoagglutination. The agglutination reactions on the test cards were e asy to read, the results were reproducible and in agreement with the r eference methods with one exception. In dogs with macroscopic erythroc ytic agglutination, typing can be performed if agglutination does not persist after washing of the red blood cells. Not only EDTA-but also h eparin-and sodium citrate-anticoagulated blood is suitable for typing. The DEA 1.1 test cards are an easy and reliable method to type dogs i n practice and facilitate safe transfusions.