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  • Clinical Techniques
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Simple blood typing and cross matching techniques in swine

Lab Animal volume 45, pages 366–368 (2016)Cite this article

Swine are an invaluable large animal model in both basic and translational research studies. Blood typing in swine is important to avoid complications associated with incompatibility, but there is little practical information that adequately details guidelines for simple blood typing and cross matching in swine. The EldonCard® and the standard saline agglutination (SSA) method are two methods for blood typing which we describe in this clinical technique. The methods are fast, require minimal and easily available supplies, and can be reliably used on fresh or refrigerated whole blood. Using these methods can avoid unnecessary complications in research using swine blood products.

Blood type groups are identified by specific antibodies against red blood cell (RBC) antigens that induce RBC agglutination1, identified as: “A”, “Aweak”, “O”, and “–” or “blank”2. Unlike humans, who have multiple Rh antigens establishing positive or negative blood subtypes, there is only one Rh gene in the plasma for swine3. It should be noted that complete and accurate blood typing of immature swine five weeks or younger is limited due to their inability to express A or H substances, which establish blood type in RBCs or tissue3. Haphazard transfusion of blood products without attention to specific compatibility can lead to a number of complications, ranging from mild urticaria, pulmonary hypertension, decreased fibrinogen with an associated increase in fibrin degradation products, and death due to severe bronchospasm, hemorrhage, cardiovascular collapse, or disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC)1,3,4,5. For example, it is thought that the anti-A antibodies in the plasma may react with the “A” substance in the donor pig plasma to cause DIC3. It is critical that investigators have prior knowledge of these potential problems to avoid unnecessary loss of life or data.

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Figure 1: Demonstration of circular motions with the Eldon stick.
Figure 2: Comparison between positive reactions in “A” blood types.
Figure 3: Comparison of the three blood types that can be identified by this method.
Figure 4: SSA method materials.
Figure 5: Positive reactions scoring for SSA method.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Henry M. Jackson Inc. Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Bethesda, MD

    Alexandra C. Walchak &  Victoria Hampshire (Column Editor)

  2. Combat Trauma Research Group, Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, Portsmouth, VA

    Alexandra C. Walchak, Gregory J. Zarow, C. Scott Gamble & Sean P. Conley

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  1. Alexandra C. Walchak
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  2. Gregory J. Zarow
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  3. C. Scott Gamble
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  4. Sean P. Conley
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  5. Victoria Hampshire
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Correspondence to Alexandra C. Walchak.

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Walchak, A., Zarow, G., Gamble, C. et al. Simple blood typing and cross matching techniques in swine. Lab Anim 45, 366–368 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/laban.1120

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