[Value of using polyethylene glycol in the indirect antiglobulin test with erythrocytes].

A series of comparative investigations was carried out for establishing the value of the indirect antiglobulin test (IAT) in its first phase. The results showed that PEG, in relation to NaCl solution of low ionic strength, increased the reactivity of various antibodies of different specificity present in 72 studied sera. A significant superiority of IAT-PEG to IAT-BISS was noted in 45.8% of these sera. In search for antibodies in sera of 1160 patients IAT-PEG detected 7 antibodies not reacting in the IAT-LISS, and 5 of them had Rh system specificity, one was anti-K and one anti-Jka. Although the IAT-PEG was more sensitive than IAT-LISS in the detection of anti-Rh antibodies, it was less sensitive in this range than the enzymatic LEN test with which not only 5 of these antibodies were demonstrated but which detected also 8 antibodies not demonstrated in IAT-PEG or IAT-LISS. All 5 antibodies not detected by the IAT-PEG but demonstrated in the IAT-LISS were specific for the Lewis system. The per cent of reactions regarded as non-specific in the IAT-PEG was 1.3%. The IAT-PEG modification may be recommended as a sensitive, simple and specific method extending the possibilities of immunohematological diagnosis, especially in cases of post-transfusion reactions and in difficulties of interpretation connected with the occurrence of weakly positive reactions in the IAT-LISS.