Osmotic Erythrocyte Fragility and ABO Blood Groups

In a study of 1008 blood donors a reduced frequency of blood group A and an increased frequency of blood group O were observed in those with increased osmotic fragility of their red cells.     

ABO Blood Groups and Hepatitis B Antigen and Antibody

Summary: Sera from 836 natives from the Sepik District of New Guinea were tested for Hepatitis B antigen and antibody by the passive haemagglutination technique and ABO grouped. Results show that not only was there no association between blood groups and Hepatitis B antigen carriers, but also that there was no relationship between blood groups and those susceptible to infection by the Hepatitis B antigen-associated virus as estimated by the summation of antigen and antibody positives in the population studied.     

ABO and Rhesus Blood Groups in Acute Puumala Hantavirus Infection

Puumala hantavirus (PUUV) causes hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome. We aimed to evaluate whether ABO and rhesus blood groups associate with the susceptibility or the severity of PUUV infection. We analyzed blood groups in 289 adult patients treated in Tampere University hospital due to PUUV infection during the years 1982–2017. Patients’ blood group distribution was compared to that of healthy, voluntary blood donors living in the Tampere University Hospital responsibility area (n = 21,833). The severity of PUUV infection, as judged by the severity of acute kidney injury (AKI), thrombocytopenia, inflammation, capillary leakage, and the length of hospital care, was analyzed across the groups. The ABO and rhesus blood group distributions did not differ between the patients and blood donors. Patients with non-O blood groups had lower systolic blood pressure compared to patients with blood group O, but there was no difference in other markers of capillary leakage or in the severity of AKI. Minor deviations in the number of platelets and leukocytes were detected between the O and non-O blood groups. To conclude, patients with blood group O may be less susceptible to hypotension, but otherwise blood groups have no major influences on disease susceptibility or severity during acute PUUV infection.     

Follow-Up Studies of Healthy Blood Donors. Anti-HBs Antibody Carriers

Abstract. 10 healthy blood donors persistently seropositive for anti-HBs and without a history of clinically overt viral hepatitis were observed for periods of time ranging from 46 to 57 months. Physical examinations and biochemical liver function tests were normal in all cases. Immunologic studies of their immune response to hepatitis B virus antigens are suggestive for a late period of convalescence from clinically inapparent hepatitis B.     

Clinical and Immunological Studies on Healthy Blood Donors Hepatitis B Antibody Carriers

Ten healthy blood donors persistently seropositive for anti-HBs and without a history of clinically overt viral hepatitis were studied. While physical examination and biochemical liver function tests exhibited normal values in all cases, immunologic studies revealed coexistence of a long-term anti-HBs carrier state with the presence of cell-mediated immunity to HBV antigens and autoantibodies in some. These results suggest a complex immunologic phenomenon underlying the development of the anti-HBs carrier state.     

Incidence of HBsAG, Anti-HBs and Subtypes ad and ay in a General Hospital

During a period of four months, 9,418 individuals, comprising new hospital admissions, new employees and blood donors, were tested for Hb_sAg and 1,212 for anti-HB_s. A high incidence of positivity for both was found in the different groups under investigation. Subtyping was carried out on acutely ill patients and carriers. Subtype ay was common in acutely ill patients and among addicts and subtype ad in nonhepatitis patients and healthy carriers. The significance of these findings and possible measures for prevention of spread of the infection are discussed.     

The Relationship of the H Specificity to the ABO Blood Groups

Abstract. Racial differences are demonstrated in the reactions of human red cells of groups A₁ and B with anti-H lectin. These and other findings argue against the concept that H is a precursor of A and B. A more likely hypothesis appears to be that there are individual, racial and species differences in the precursor substance which provides the chemical skeletons to which are added the determinant sugar groups responsible for specificities H, A and B. The differences in reactivity with anti-H are ascribed to differences in the proximity between the various determinant groups with resulting steric interference with the serologic reactions.     

Anti-HBe and Subtypes of HBsAg among Asymptomatic HBsAg Carriers

Finnish HBsAg positive blood donors were analyzed for the HBsAg subtype distribution and the presence of e antigen (HBeAg) and antibody to e (anti-HBe). 88% (159 of 180) of the donors had subtype and ad and 12% (21 of 180) had ay. HBeAg was found in 1% (2 of 180) and anti-HBe in 74% (133 of 180) of the donors. Anti-HBe was significantly (p less than 0.0001) more common among donors with subtype ad than with ay: 80 and 29% respectively. The mean age of donors with both subtype ad and anti-HBe was significantly (p less than 0.001) lower than that of the other donor categories.     

Molecular Bases of the ABO Blood Groups of Indians from the Brazilian Amazon Region

Phenotype studies of ABO blood groups in most Amerindian populations revealed the exclusive presence of group O. Since group O is the result of the absence of glycosyltransferase activity, its molecular bases may be heterogeneous. We carried out ABO blood group genotyping by analysis of DNA of 30 Indians from 2 Amazonian tribes (Yanomami and Arara), and compared the findings with other populations (Caucasians and Blacks). Two segments of the glycosyltransferase gene were amplified by PCR and digested with Kpn I or Alu I to detect deletion or base change at positions 258 and 700, respectively. For all subjects, the gene basis of blood group O is the deletion of a single nucleotide at position 258 of the glycosyltransferase A gene, similar to that observed in Caucasoids and Negroids. DNA sequencing of limited regions of the gene supports this conclusion. This finding does not exclude, however, that a heterogeneity of the O allele may be revealed by a more extensive analysis.     

Blood groups ABO and grass-pollen hayfever

The frequency distribution of the blood group phenotypes ABO was examined in retrospect in a selected group of 241 Patients with grass pollen hayfever. A relative deficiency in blood group O was found, with a shift toward an over-represented B-phenotype as compared to the general population. This shift appeared to be largely due to the contribution from the female patients with pollinosis. Comparison with literature data confirmed a lower frequency of the O-phenotype in atopic patients in general, irrespective of the specific sensitivities.     

Hepatitis B Antigen Subtypes in Asymptomatic Carriers in the Solomon Islands1,*

Summary: Hepatitis B antigen subtypes in asymptomatic carriers in the Solomon Islands. H. Williams and S. Mazzur
Three hundred and fifty-three students attending King George VI School in Honiara, British Solomon Islands Protectorate, were tested by immunodiffusion for hepatitis B surface antigen (HB, Ag). The prevalence of HB Ag was 13% and the antigen was found more frequently in males. Twenty-seven samples which contained high titers of antigen were subtyped to define those subtype combinations present in the BS/P. The most frequent antigen was adr+yw-. This combination is a/so common in Thai/and and Japan. The second most prevalent comb/nation was ayw+dr-. The antigenic determinants also occurred less frequently as adw+yr-, adwr+y-, and awr+dy-. These unusual samples which contain both w and r may be the result of mixed particles, recombination of virus, mixing of viral proteins in doubly infected cells or extracellular aggregation of mixed viral products.     

Correlation between Anti-HBc Titers and HBV DNA in Blood Units without Detectable HBsAg

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA was tested for in 294 blood units which had antibody against hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc) as the isolated serological marker of HBV infection. After amplification by polymerase chain reaction, HBV DNA was detected in 12 (6.9%) of 175 units that were positive for anti-HBc with hemagglutination inhibition titers greater than or equal to 2(6), significantly more often than in none of 119 units with titers less than or equal to 2(5) (p less than 0.01). These results indicate that the exclusion of blood units with isolated high-titer anti-HBc would be effective for further decreasing the risk of posttransfusion hepatitis B.     

Serum Blood Group Substances and ABO Haemolytic Disease

The passage of incompatible maternal anti-A and anti-B isoagglutinins across the placenta can cause haemolysis of foetal erythrocytes. This occurs almost entirely in group A or B infants born to a group O mother, but only one in five such infants shows evidence of a mild haemolytic disease. This suggests that there must be factors protecting the foetal red cells against incompatible maternal antibody. The investigation described here suggests that one such factor is the presence of blood group substances in foetal serum.
In an investigation of the amount of A-substance present in the cord blood of group A infants, significantly greater amounts were found in secretors than in non-secretors. Also, in group A secretor infants, the amounts of A substance in the cord blood of infants with group O mothers was diminished in comparison with those with group A mothers. These findings are compatible with the idea that some of the A-substance in the serum of the group A infants with O mothers had combined with maternal anti-A agglutinin and had been removed from the circulation. This supports the suggestion that blood group substances in cord serum protect the foetal erythrocytes from incompatible maternal antibodies.