What can be done to resolve an antibody mixture if one of them is anti-Lea and clinically insignificant?

What can be done to resolve an antibody mixture if one of them is anti-Lea and clinically insignificant?

• A. Perform an enzyme panel
• B. Neutralize the serum with saliva
• C. Neutralize the serum with hydatid cyst fluid
• D. Use DTT (dithiothreitol) to treat the panel cells

Answer: (B)

Neutralizing the serum with saliva is an effective method for resolving an antibody mixture that includes clinically insignificant antibodies such as anti-Lea. The anti-Lea antibody recognizes a specific carbohydrate structure which is present in human saliva. By adding saliva to the serum, the Lea antigen in the saliva competes with the serum antibodies for binding sites, effectively neutralizing the antibodies and allowing for clearer identification of any clinically significant antibodies that may be present in the sample. The other options do have their own specific applications but are less suited for this situation. Performing an enzyme panel can help identify specific antigens, but it may not specifically resolve the issue of a known clinically insignificant antibody like anti-Lea. Neutralizing with hydatid cyst fluid is typically used for other antibody specificities and is not relevant for anti-Lea. Treating panel cells with DTT is a method used to denature proteins on the red cell surface; however, this is more applicable for resolving antibodies against more robust antigens and would not specifically assist in neutralizing anti-Lea. Thus, neutralizing with saliva directly addresses the presence of the anti-Lea in a targeted way, making it the best choice in this scenario.

Neutralizing the serum with saliva is an effective method for resolving an antibody mixture that includes clinically insignificant antibodies such as anti-Lea. The anti-Lea antibody recognizes a specific carbohydrate structure which is present in human saliva. By adding saliva to the serum, the Lea antigen in the saliva competes with the serum antibodies for binding sites, effectively neutralizing the antibodies and allowing for clearer identification of any clinically significant antibodies that may be present in the sample.

The other options do have their own specific applications but are less suited for this situation. Performing an enzyme panel can help identify specific antigens, but it may not specifically resolve the issue of a known clinically insignificant antibody like anti-Lea. Neutralizing with hydatid cyst fluid is typically used for other antibody specificities and is not relevant for anti-Lea. Treating panel cells with DTT is a method used to denature proteins on the red cell surface; however, this is more applicable for resolving antibodies against more robust antigens and would not specifically assist in neutralizing anti-Lea. Thus, neutralizing with saliva directly addresses the presence of the anti-Lea in a targeted way, making it the best choice in this scenario.