The American Society of Hematology (ASH) has established new blood reference ranges specifically for people with the Duffy-null trait, according to News-Medical. The outlet reported the development on Thursday, November 5, 2026. The ranges are intended to give clinicians a more accurate baseline when interpreting blood test results for this group.
The Duffy-null trait affects a person's blood cells in ways that can make standard reference ranges misleading. The new ASH ranges are meant to address that gap, News-Medical reports.
The announcement matters because reference ranges are the benchmarks laboratories use to decide whether a blood count falls inside or outside typical limits. When those benchmarks do not account for a person's genetic background, results can be flagged as abnormal even when nothing is wrong. The new ASH ranges are aimed at reducing that kind of misreading for Duffy-null individuals.
News-Medical did not publish further details on how the ranges were derived or when they take effect. The full article is available on the outlet's website.
What to watch next: whether laboratories and clinical guidelines begin adopting the ASH ranges, and how the change affects the interpretation of routine blood tests for Duffy-null patients.
