Anti-Ata in an African American Woman

Abstract

Anti-Ata is a rare alloantibody and its clinical significance has not been entirely clear. This case study reports the detection of anti-Ata from a 43-year-old African American female who may require organ transplant. The patient medical history is described including the identification of the antibody and the suitable transfusion products for the patient. A brief review about this rare antibody is also included. Anti-Ata has been implicated as a cause of a clinically significant acute hemolytic reaction in adults and almost all of the reported cases are involved with African American patients. However, there hasn9t been adequate data to determine its clinical significance definitely. This case presented here contributes to the study database of anti-Ata antibodies. It should become of interest to healthcare providers whose patients are predominantly African American or of Caribbean ancestry. Proper healthcare management such as registration to the American Red Cross Rare Donor Registry or blood donation, should also be encouraged in the African-American community.