Protocol for using the Mononuclear Monolayer Assay (MMA)

A colleague in France would like information regarding a protocol for the Mononuclear monolayer Assay (MMA).

In response to the French colleagues request, Pat Arndt MS, MT(ASCP)SBB, Senior Research Associate, American Red Cross Southern California Blood Services Region (attribution used with permission), comments that a brief description of a Monocyte Monolayer Assay is provided in a 2004 Transfusion article (Vol 44, pages 1273-81) entitled 'A retrospective analysis of the value of monocyte monolayer assay results for predicting the clinical significance of blood group alloantibodies' ,Pat comments that if the French colleague is thinking about setting up a cellular assay to predict the clinical significance of red cell antibodies, it should be emphasized that the Monocyte Monolayer Assay is difficult to perform and has many variables (Garratty, G. Predicting the Clinical Significance of Red Cell AntibodiesWIth In Vitro Cellular AssaysTransfus Med Rev. 1990 Oct; 4(4);297-312). A less subjective approach would be a chemiluminescence test (see Hadley A et al. A chemiluminescence test for predicting the outcome of transfusing incompatible blood. Transfus Med. 1999 Dec;9(4):337-42). Pat would be happy to correspond personally with the colleague in France, or any other colleague about this topic, if there are any further specific questions, including obtaining reprints of Dr. Garratty's 1990 article: arndtp@usa.redcross.org.

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