Alloantibodies against A and B blood types in cats

Whole blood transfusions in 91 cats: a clinical evaluation

This survey assessed the feline transfusion practices at the University of Berlin from 1998 to 2001 in regard to patient population, indications, efficacy, and transfusion reactions. Blood was obtained from seven healthy in-house donors and 127 mostly indoor client-owned pet cats. Over a 3-year period 91 cats were transfused with blood type compatible blood. The blood was fresh (within 8 h of collection) or stored no longer than 15 days. Transfusions were required because of blood loss anaemia (n=40), haemolytic anaemia (n=13), ineffective erythropoiesis (n=35), hypoproteinaemia (n=2) or coagulopathy (n=2). The anaemic cats had a pretransfusion haematocrit of 5-20% (m [median]=13), and received one to six transfusions (m=1). The survival rates of the anaemic cats at 1 and 10 days after transfusion were 84 and 64%, respectively. None of the deaths appeared to be related to transfusion reactions. The major crossmatch, undertaken before 117 transfusions, was incompatible for eight cats. All except for one had previously been transfused. Lysis of transfused cells in six cases resulted in a less than expected haematocrit rise and an increase in serum bilirubin. Transient mild transfusion reactions were only noted in two cats during the second or third transfusion. In conclusion, with proper donor selection and appropriate compatibility screening, blood transfusions are well tolerated, appear effective, and may increase chances of survival.

Blood type A and B frequencies in Turkish Van and Angora cats in Turkey

Blood typing of domestic cats has been performed in domestic and purebred cats in various parts of the world and is important in clinical practice in order to prevent neonatal isoerythrolysis (NI) and acute haemolytic transfusion reactions. Prevalence of blood types vary greatly between breeds of cats. Turkish Van and Angora cats are different breeds that originated in geographically distinct regions of Turkey. The present survey determined the frequency of blood types in these Turkish pedigreed cats in Turkey. Ethylenediaminetetraacetic-acid anti-coagulated blood of a total of 113 Turkish Van and Angora cats were examined for blood typing using a slide and tube agglutination assay. Of the 85 Van cats surveyed, 40% had type A, and 60% had type B blood. Of the 28 Turkish Angora cats, 53.6% had type A, and 46.4% had type B blood. No type AB cats were found between both breeds. There was no significant association between blood types and gender of both Angora and Van cats or eye colours of Van cats (P > 0.05). Although these are limited surveys, the overall prevalence of type B cats in these two breeds was very high compared with the results of previous studies worldwide. It appears likely that blood type incompatibilities responsible for feline NI and transfusion reactions are occurring in these breeds. The risk of transfusion incompatibility in Turkish Angora and Van cats was 46.4 and 60%, respectively. It is therefore strongly recommended to breeders and clinicians that blood typing be performed prior to breeding and transfusing cats.

Measurement of titres of naturally occurring alloantibodies against feline blood group antigens in the UK

Measurement of anti-A and anti-B haemagglutinating alloantibody titres was performed on serum samples from both pedigree (n = 61) and non-pedigree (n = 43) cats previously typed using a commercial blood typing kit. All 40 type B cats had anti-A antibody with titres ranging from 4 to 1600. Among the 61 type A sera tested, an anti-B agglutination titre of greater than 2 was recorded in 16.4 per cent. There was no significant association between serum alloantibody titre and cat breed or gender (P > 0.05).

The AB blood group system in wild felids

The blood type of 131 non-domesticated felids belonging to 26 felid species was surveyed in this study. Based upon a tube hemagglutination assay established for domestic cats, 80% of felids had type-A, 18% type-B, and 2% type-AB blood. Felids in the Puma group and African and Asian golden cats had blood type B, whereas all other species were found to have blood type A. Two cheetahs and one bobcat had type-AB blood. Red cell glycolipids analysed by high performance thin layer chromatography revealed a similar ganglioside pattern in wild cats as reported in domestic cats. Independent of the AB blood group system, incompatible blood crossmatch reactions were detected between different felid groups. In conclusion, wild felids display the same AB-erythrocyte antigens as domestic cats, and the same blood typing procedures can be applied for wild and domestic felids.

Determination of the prevalence of feline blood types in the UK

The efficacy and diagnostic accuracy of a new desk-top feline blood typing kit was evaluated by comparing the results of the kit with traditional blood typing methods on 35 feline blood samples. The kit was then used to blood type 139 non-pedigree cats from Scotland and the north of England and 207 pedigree cats from throughout the UK. Of the non-pedigree cats, 87.1 per cent were type A, 7.9 per cent were type B and 5.0 per cent were type AB, while of the pedigree cats, 54.6 per cent were type A, 40.1 per cent were type B and 5.3 per cent were type AB. The majority (121 out of 207) of these pedigree cats were British shorthaired, of which 39.7 per cent were type A, 58.7 per cent were type B and 1.6 per cent were type AB. No cats were identified that failed to express the type A and/or type B antigens. The prevalence of type AB cats appears to be higher in this study than previously reported. The prevalence of blood types within specific pedigree breeds in the UK appears to vary from that reported elsewhere.

Feline transfusion medicine. Blood types and their clinical importance

Anemia is the most common indications for a blood transfusion in cats and fresh whole blood is typically administered. Recent experimental studies and clinical reports have elucidated the importance of feline blood types in transfusion medicine. The AB blood group system, the only recognized feline blood group system, consists of three blood types: type A is most common, type B is frequently found in certain breeds, and type AB occurs rarely. The blood type frequently varies geographically among domestic shorthair cats and between breeds. Because of the presence of naturally occurring alloantibodies, only AB-matched transfusions are effective and safe. Blood typing is now readily available and incompatibilities are easily recognized with blood crossmatching tests. Owing to the general presence of strong anti-A alloantibodies in type B cats, type A blood given to a type B cat results in life-threatening acute hemolytic transfusion reactions. Immediate withdrawal of a transfusion and supportive care may save a patient. Other transfusion reactions, unrelated to AB mismatch, cause only mild and transient signs. Peculiarities of feline blood banking also are reviewed.

Biochemical characterization of the feline AB blood group system

The biochemical nature of the feline AB blood group system was characterized by analysing red blood cells from homozygous (genotype A/A) and heterozygous (A/B) type A, type B (B/B), and type AB cats. High performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC) of red cell glycolipids revealed that specific neuraminic acids (NA) on gangliosides, containing ceramide dihexoside (CDH) as a backbone, correlated with the feline AB blood group antigens. Although disialogangliosides predominated, mono- and trisialogangliosides were also isolated. B cats expressed solely N-acetyl-NA (NeuNAc) on these gangliosides. In addition to expressing N-glycolyl-NA (NeuNGc) containing gangliosides, A red cells have gangliosides with only NeuNAc or mixtures of both NA. HPTLC profiles of disialogangliosides from homozygous and heterozygous A cats differed slightly in the quantity of disialogangliosides. Equal amounts of NeuNAc and NeuNGc containing disialogangliosides, as well as two intermediary forms, were recovered from AB erythrocytes. Analysing disialogangliosides from red cells belonging to 17 genetically related cats, we consistently obtained the expected disialoganglioside profile, based on blood typing and pedigree information. SDS-PAGE of red cell membrane proteins and blotting with Triticum vulgaris, a lectin recognizing NeuNAc, revealed glycoproteins of approximately 51, 53, and 80 kD in B and AB cats but only a faint band of approximately 53 kD in A cats. By haemagglutination, Triticum vulgaris could also distinguish different blood types by specifically binding to B and AB cells.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)