MATERNAL MORTALITY IN AFRICA: REGIONAL TRENDS (2000–2017)
MATERNAL MORTALITY IN AFRICA:
REGIONAL TRENDS (2000–2017)
1 School of Health Sciences, Catholic University of Central Africa, Yaoundé, Cameroon
2 Biochemistry Department, University of Yaoundé 1, Yaoundé, Cameroon
3 Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences of University of Yaoundé I, Yaoundé, Cameroon
4 Microbiology Laboratory, University Teaching Hospital, Yaoundé, Cameroon
5 Hematology & Transfusion Service, University Teaching Hospital, Yaoundé, Cameroon
6 Faculty of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Douala, Douala, Cameroon
Abstract
Objective: Despite being a life-saving act, blood transfusion can present risks that transfusion safety aims to prevent. The aim of this study was to characterise Rhesus antigens (D, C, c, E, e) in donors and recipients in the Gynaecology, Obstetrics and Paediatrics hospital of Yaoundé and the District Hospital of Obala in the Centre region of Cameroon. Methodology: Rhesus antigens (D, C, c, E, e) were detected by plate agglutination at 37°C, phenotypes were determined and allelic frequencies calculated. Results: Three rhesus antigens were dominant in our study population of 204 pairs. Ag D, Ag c and Ag e had frequencies of 97%, 98% and 99% respectively for donor blood units and 98%, 99% and 100% for recipients. The Dce phenotype was the most represented with 51.5% in donor blood units and 52.9% in recipients. The D allele was widely represented with a frequency of 0.827 for donor blood units and 0.859 for recipients. Conclusion: Ag D, c and e are represented by more than 97%. The Dce phenotype is the most represented. The D allele is dominant. Characterisation of Rhesus antigens highly contributes to transfusion safety.
Keywords: Rhesus antigens, Blood donors, Recipients, Transfusion safety.
