Comparative Evaluation of the Effect of DTT Treatment and Heat Inactivation on ABO Isoagglutinin Titers

Background and aims: DTT treatment and heat inactivation are the two common methods used for removing the interference of IgM antibodies which can affect the accuracy of IgG measurements. By comparing the effects of these treatments on ABO isoagglutinin titers using two different techniques of titration namely conventional test tube technique (CTT) and column agglutination technique (CAT), the study aims to determine which method is more effective or suitable for this purpose.

Materials and methods: Conducted between October 2019 to March 2020, this was a prospective, observational study which included A, B and O group donors. Each donor’s serum was treated with DTT and heat. Titrations were performed by CTT and CAT both before and after treatment.

Results: A total of 300 whole blood donors participated in this study; 100 each for group A, B and O. Anti-A and anti-B IgG titers of group O individuals were higher than corresponding titers of non-O individuals. Anti-A titers in group O individuals were slightly higher than anti-B titers, whereas anti-A and anti-B titers from non-O individuals were found to be similar. Heat treated titers were higher than DTT treated titers. Median IgG titers were higher than median IgM titers. Group O titers were higher than non-O titers.

Conclusion: DTT treatment was more effective than heat inactivation in terms of efficiently eliminating IgM activity. This study provides insights into the optimal methods for diminishing interference and obtaining accurate measurements of ABO IgG titers, which are crucial for various medical and research applications