Advances in detection techniques for congenital blood group chimerism

Congenital blood group chimerism refers to the coexistence of two or more distinct blood types within an individual, resulting from the presence of hematopoietic cell populations with different genotypes. Consequently, red blood cells in such individuals may express different blood group antigens. Based on the timing and mechanism of formation, blood group chimerism can be classified as either congenital or acquired. Although congenital blood group chimerism is rare and involves complex mechanisms, it holds significant implications in transfusion medicine, transplantation, and obstetrics. This article reviews the formation mechanisms, detection methods, and clinical significance of congenital blood group chimerism in transfusion medicine. Particular emphasis is placed on the principles, advantages, and limitations of various detection techniques. Furthermore, the potential applications of these technologies in clinical diagnosis are discussed, providing a technical foundation for the development of precise transfusion strategies.