The first stage of red cell agglutination is sensitization.

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Many factors affect red cell agglutination,which is thought to occur in two stages,sensitization and agglutination.
 The first stage involves the physical attachment of antibody to red cells and is referred to as sensitization.The second stage of agglutination involves the formation of bridges between sensitized red cells to form the lattice that is seen as agglutination.Correct conditions are essential for reliable tests.Many factors affect the reactions that are used to detect an antigen-antibody reaction.These include:
·Use of adequate serum and red cells
·Correct concentration of cell suspensions
·The testing medium
·Proper temperature and duration of incubation
·Proper use of centrifugation
·The condition and correct use of reagents
·Accurate reading and interpretation of agglutination reactions

The First Stage of Red Cell Agglutination Is Sensitization