The Sda Blood Group Antigen

Abstract. Material with high Sd^a blood group activity can be prepared from urine by precipitation with ethanol. Partial separation of substances with Sd^a and A activity can be effected by gel-filtration, ultracentrifugation or precipitation with anti-A serum. Substances with Sd^a activity are inactivated by acid, alkali and periodate and are partly soluble in phenol.     

The Blood Group Antigen Mia in Japanese

The blood group antigen Mi^a was found in one of 3,350 randomly selected Japanese. In the family of the propositus, it could be shown that the Mi ^a gene was traveling on an Ms chromosome. The simultaneous occurrence of the two rare genes Mi ^a and Di ^a in this family has established the lack of genetic relationship between them. No example of Vw + blood was found in the population sampled.

Résumé

L'antigène de groupe sanguin Mi^a a été trouvé chez un japonais sur 3350 pris au hasard. Dans la famille du propositus, il a pu ětre démontré que le gène Mi ^a se situait sur le chromosome Ms. La présence simultanée des deux gènes rares Mi ^a et Di ^a dans cette famille a permis d'établir l'absence de rapports génétiques entre eux. Aucun exemple de sang Vw+ n'a été trouvé. parmi la population étudiée.

Zusammenfassung

Unter 3350 unausgewählten Japanern fand sich ein Mi^a-positiver Proband. Die Untersuchung seiner Familie zeigte eine Koppelung des Mi ^a-Gens mit dem Ms -Chromosom. Das gleichzeitige Vorkommen der zwei seltenen Gene Mi ^a und Di ^a in dieser Familie ist zufällig, da ein genetischer Zusammenhang zwischen diesen beiden Blutfaktoren fehlte. Eine Vw+ Blutprobe wurde in dieser Untersuchungs-reihe nicht gefunden.     

The Serology of Sda Effects of Transfusion and Pregnancy

Abstract: Pre- and posttransfusion antibody titers were performed on 6 patients with anti-Sd^a transfused with incompatible blood. In 3 of these patients a significant rise in IgG antibody titer was found. The data suggest that in occasional patients the Sd^a antigen does evoke a secondary immune response. We evaluated 245 pregnant women for the presence of Sd^a and found that 30% were Sd(a-). This incidence was significantly higher than that found in normal blood donors (4%), but was lower than that described in previous reports. We found that 22% of pregnant women in their first trimester were Sd(a-) whereas at term 36% were Sd(a-). These significantly different incidences of antigen positivity suggest decreased antigen expression with progressing pregnancy, as seen in the Lewis system. No difference was found in the incidence of anti-Sd^a between pregnant women, either during their first trimester or at term, and normal donors.     

The Mg Blood Group Antigen in Two Indian Families

The first two examples of M^g antigen from India are reported. Two families with 9 M^g positive individuals are studied. In one family, inheritance was by the gene complex M ^g s but in the other there was no means of deciding between M ^g s and M^g S . The antigen M^g appears to be rare, since no other instance was detected in over 9,200 samples tested. 12 out of 1,614 random sera (0.74%) showed the presence of anti-M^g antibody.     

The Blood Group Antigen Ula (Karhula)

The serum of a Finnish patient contains an antibody to a previously unknown red cell antigen provisionally called Ul^a. The antigen is possessed by 2.6% of 2620 Helsinki blood donors though in certain Finnish isolates it is more frequent: it is inherited as a dominant character. The symbol Ul^a is provisional because, although the antigen was shown by independent segregation in families not to belong to the ABO, MNSs, P, Rh, Lutheran, secretor, Duffy, Kidd or Dom-brock systems, nor to be X- or Y-linked, it has yet to be shown to be genetically independent of the versatile Kell system and of the Yt and Diego systems.     

Nea, a New Blood Group Antigen in Finland

Abstract. A previously unrecognized blood group antigen is described. The antigen was shown to be different from many rare blood group antigens, to be inherited as an autosomal dominant character and not to be closely linked to the established blood group systems nor to several other polymorphic markers of blood. The antigen is well developed at birth. About 5% of Finns have this antigen. In contrast only 1 donor in 502 Swiss blood donors and 2 unrelated donors in 395 Swedish blood donors were found to be positive for the antigen.
The antigen is provisionally called Ne^a and the respective antibody anti-Ne^a. At least three Ne(a+) blood units were given to a patient on different occasions before anti-Ne^a was detected in compatibility tests. Since the discovery of the first anti-Ne^a, three additional examples of this antibody have been identified in serum from multitransfused patients. Anti-Ne^a is capable of shortening the in vivo survival of transfused incompatible Ne(a+) cells.     

Doa (Dombrock) Blood Group Antigen in the Japanese

Abstract. A low frequency of the Do^a antigen in Japanese was confirmed by a further testing of 502 donors and 79 families. In the family studies, Do^a was shown to be independent of the Diego or Jr systems.     

Doa (Dombrock) Blood Group Antigen in the Japanese

Blood samples from 100 unrelated Japanese were tested for Doa antigen. It was found that the frequency of the antigen in the Japanese (18%) is lower by far than in Caucasians, Negroes or American Indians.     

The Lea Antigen and Neonatal Hyperbilirubinemia in Taiwan

Neonatal jaundice is known to be more severe in Taiwanese infants than in Caucasian infants. Although ABO fetomaternal incompatibility and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency have been shown to play a role in the etiology of neonatal jaundice in some Taiwanese infants, the etiology in the majority of cases is unknown. In this study we found that in Taiwanese newborn infants, the red cell Le^a antigen appeared later in infants who were jaundiced (peak serum bilirubin levels of >12 mg/dl during the first week of life) than in infants who were not. However, the Le^b antigen, and hence the transferases encoded by the Se and Se ^w genes, did not appear to be similarly involved in the etiology of physiological jaundice. Thus it would appear that the Le gene-specified transferase is less active or has a delayed function, in jaundiced infants. The relationship between the Le gene-specified transferase and bilirubin has yet to be established.     

Wka (Weeks), a New Antigen in the Kell Blood Group System

Abstract. An immune antibody, made in response to transfusion, has revealed a new antigen (Wk^a) with a frequency of 0.3% among English blood donors, and 0.1% among K+ blood donors. The families of 5 K+ Wk(a+) propositi have no recombinants and 13 non-recombinants. The new antigen is shown to be part of the Kell blood group system.     

Immunological Identification of Blood Group Pk Antigen on Normal Human Erythrocytes and Isolation of Anti-Pk with Different Affinity

The P1 and Pk blood group glycolipid antigens have the common terminal disaccharide, Gal(alpha, 1-4)Gal, but previous studies indicated that anti-P1 from P2 individuals does not cross-react with Pk antigen. In this paper, the specificities of anti-P1 and anti-Pk were analyzed carefully by complement fixation and hemagglutination techniques and the following results were obtained: (1) Anti-P1 from P2 serum was not absorbed with the Pk glycolipid (CTH), but this antigen absorbed all anti-P1 and anti-Pk (anti-P1Pk) antibodies from the sera of four p individuals. Most of the anti-P1Pk antibodies were IgG, but the anti-p1 from the P2 individual was IgM. (2) The Pk antigen on normal P2 erythrocytes was not 'cryptic'. It was reactive with p serum from which the anti-P antibodies were removed by absorption with the P glycolipid (globoside). This was not appreciated previously because, in order to make anti-Pk reagents, p sera (anti-P1PPk) were absorbed with P1 cells which contain CTH. (3) The anti-P1Pk antibodies in p sera were separated by partial absorption with P1 erythrocytes and elution from the absorbing cells, into two fractions that differ markedly in their affinity for alpha-methyl-D-galactoside and the oligosaccharides prepared from CTH.     

A New Rare Blood Group Antigen Toa (Torkildsen) and an Unsolved Factor Skjelbred

Summary. A previously unrecognized, rare blood group antigen, To^a (Torkildsen), and a rare, so far unsolved erythrocyte factor, Skjelbred, have been described. The To^a antigen seems to be inherited as a Mendelian dominant character. Sera containing anti-To^a and anti-Skjelbred, showing the characteristics of 'naturally occurring' antibodies, are relatively frequently found.     

New Variants in the ABOH Blood Group System due to Interaction of Recessive Genes Controlling the Formation of H Antigen in Erythrocytes: the ''Bombay''-Like Phenotypes OHm, OBHm and OABHm

Abstract. New variants of the ABOH blood group system are described which are similar to the 'Bombay' phenotype, but differ from it by Le(a-b+) erythrocytes and secretion of ABH and Le^a and Le^b antigens. The erythrocytes of the proposita and members of her family are group O, negative with anti-H; agglutinins if the 'Bombay' type, active also at 37°C, but weakened owing to interference by the secreted antigens, were found in the sera. The genetic background of the observed phenotypes is discussed. It appears likely that the atypical blood groups are due to a pair of recessive genes at a locus designated as Z/z and responsible for biosynthesis of H antigen in erythrocytes. The Z/z locus very probably belongs to the operator/regulator gene complex for the structural gene H , and has a position similar that of the Y/y pair in relation to A gene. The homozygous combination zz causes suppression (modification) of the H phenotype in erythrocytes. As a result, the expression of the blood groups, as determined by the structural gene A or B , is also suppressed. It is suggested that these variants (phenotypes) be given the symbols O_Hm, O^A_Hm, O^B_Hm and O^AB_Hm if the genetic information O, A, B or AB can be demonstrated only indirectly, and symbols A_Hm and B_Hm if the phenotype can be demonstrated by specific agglutination reactions.     

Point Mutation in the Glycophorin C Gene Results in the Expression of the Blood Group Antigen Dha

The blood group Duch (Dha) antigen is located on glycophorin C (GPC). Total RNA prepared from the reticulocyte fraction of two Dh(a+) individuals were used in the synthesis of first-strand cDNA. The first-strand cDNA served as templates for the amplification of GPC-related DNA by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The expected PCR product consisted of 412 base pairs. On sequencing the PCR-amplified DNA, a base change (cytosine----thymidine) at nucleotide 40 of the GPC cDNA was detected. Thus, the variant GPC (GPC.Dha) on Dh(a+) red cells has a substitution of leucine by phenylalanine at amino acid residue 14.