A microagglutination test for blood typing rhesus monkeys, Macaca mulatta

We have developed a microagglutination test for typing rhesus monkey erythrocytes that is sensitive, accurate and easy to perform. The technique requires only microliter quantities of antiserum and cells, and agglutination is easily detected using an inverted microscope. An advantage of this technique is that the typing plates can be stored at -70 degrees C without loss of activity. The results of typing over 400 rhesus blood samples with this technique were 95% concordant with results using the standard microtitre agglutination technique. Preliminary results indicate that this test is also adaptable to typing human blood.