ABSTRACT
Redbloodcells(RBCs)antibodiesaredetectedandcharacterizedindifferentserologicaltests. Suchtests,however,maynotalwaysdistinguishbetweenclinicallysignificantandclinically benignantibodies(l,2).ThereasonliesintheimmunologicalmechanismofextracellularRBC destructionbynoncomplement-bindingimmunoglobulinG(IgG)antibodies.Suchantibodies donotcausethedamagetotheRBCsthemselves,butsensitizedRBCsarephagocytosedand/or lysedinthespleenbycellsofthemononuclearphagocyticsystem(MPS)(3-6).Theinvitro cellularimmunoassaysaimtoreflectthisinteraction(Fig.1).Unfortunately,itisnotpossible tosimulatetheenvironmentinwhichRBCsaredestroyedinvivo.Thus,thecellular immunoassaysareperformedinarelativelysimplewaybymixingsensitizedcellswith peripheralbloodFereceptor(FcR)-bearingcells,usuallymonocytes,incubatingthemand assessingdifferentstagesoftheinteraction.Theinteractionsareadherenceasmeasuredbythe rosetteassay(RA),phagocytosis(andusuallyalsoadherence)bythemonocytemonolayerassay (MMA),themetabolicresponseofmonocytesduringerythrophagocytosisinthechemiluminescencetest(CLT),andextracellularlysisbytheantibody-dependentcellularcytotoxicity (ADCC)assay(Fig.1).
