TABLE 2.
Distribution of cats with naturally occurring alloantibodies (NOAb) according to their clinical and demographic characteristics in Quebec, Canada (2017‐2019)
| Characteristics a | Total of cats | Presence of NOAb b | P value c | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of cats | Percentage (%) | ||||
| Source | Blood donor colony | 11 | 0 | .0 | .22 |
| Teaching colony | 23 | 0 | .0 | ||
| Client and employed‐owned cats | 98 | 10 | 10.2 | ||
| Surplus EDTA sample | 126 | 8 | 6.4 | ||
| Sex | Male | 134 | 9 | 6.7 | .81 |
| Female | 119 | 9 | 7.6 | ||
| Age | < 2 years | 19 | 3 | 15.8 | .13 |
| 2 ≤ age < 8 years | 82 | 3 | 3.7 | ||
| ≥ 8 years | 100 | 11 | 11.0 | ||
| Breed | Mixed | 204 | 14 | 6.9 | .49 |
| Purebred | 35 | 4 | 11.4 | ||
| Health status | Unhealthy | 126 | 10 | 7.9 | 1 |
| Healthy | 105 | 8 | 7.6 | ||
| Hemolysis | Yes | 167 | 13 | 7.8 | .48 |
| No | 91 | 5 | 5.5 | ||
| FEA 1 d | Negative | 42 | 7 | 16.7 | .01 |
| Positive | 216 | 11 | 5.1 | ||
| FEA 2 | Negative | 141 | 6 | 4.3 | 1 |
| Positive | 15 | 1 | 6.7 | ||
| FEA 3 | Negative | 103 | 5 | 4.9 | .61 |
| Positive | 23 | 2 | 8.7 | ||
| FEA 4 | Negative | 23 | 2 | 8.7 | .64 |
| Positive | 70 | 4 | 5.7 | ||
| FEA 5 | Negative | 3 | 0 | .0 | 1 |
| Positive | 74 | 2 | 2.6 | ||
| FEA 6 | Negative | 52 | 1 | 1.9 | .24 |
| Positive | 71 | 5 | 7.0 | ||
| FEA 7 | Negative | 32 | 0 | .0 | .5 |
| Positive | 42 | 2 | 4.8 | ||
Abbreviation: FEA, feline erythrocyte antigen.
One type B cat was excluded from the teaching colony, one type AB and 3 type B cats were excluded from the client or employed‐owned cats, 2 type AB and 6 type B cats were excluded from the surplus EDTA samples. Sex, age, breed, and health status were not recorded for 5, 56, 19, and 27 cats, respectively.
Results ≥2+ are considered as incompatible (ie, presence of NOAb)—these results derived from the second step of the study (detection of NOAb).
P value from univariable logistic regression modeling the presence of NOAb (likelihood ratio test).
The results of FEA blood typing derived from the third step of the study (prospective blood typing for novel antigens). Negative: absence of the FEA corresponding to the index NOAb used as reagent; positive: presence of the FEA corresponding to the index NOAb used as reagent. NOAb present in a FEA‐positive cat cannot be the same as the index NOAb used as reagent. For example, NOAb detected in a FEA 1 positive cat cannot be NOAb 1. In contrast, NOAb detected in a FEA‐negative cat can be the same as the index NOAb or another NOAb.