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.     

Serological Findings in ABO Hemolytic Disease of the Newborn

Summary. Isohemagglutinating activity of sera from group 0, Rh-positive pregnant women were tested against infant's father erythrocytes using two agglutination techniques.
Isohemagglutinin titers obtained by the dextran technique are considerably higher than those obtained by agglutination in saline. In samples of sera treated with mercapto-ethanol this difference is even more marked.
The presence of high isohemagglutinins titer in maternal pre-partum sample of serum occurring together with a lower titer or absence of free isohemagglutinins in the corresponding umbilical cord serum has been found to be closely related to the severity of ABO hemolytic disease of the newborn.     

Fetal Blood Sampling in Rh Hemolytic Disease

Fetal blood sampling under ultrasound guidance has added a new dimension to the management of Rh hemolytic disease. Combined with the established parameters of history, antibody measurement and amniotic fluid delta OD450 readings, direct testing of the blood of the fetus completes the picture. As well as giving information that may be applied to decisions regarding management, an opportunity is provided to observe the mechanism of anti-D IgG-induced red cell destruction in vivo.     

Maternal Cold-Reacting Immunoglobulin G Anti-M of MNS Blood Group System Causing Hemolytic Disease of the Fetus

Several cases of the hemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn (HDFN) caused by immunoglobulin G (IgG) anti-M antibodies have been reported, in which almost all the HDFN-associated anti-M were warmly reacting. Here we report two cases of severe HDFN associated with cold-reacting IgG anti-M. In both cases, pregnancy was terminated, in weeks 33 and 23 respectively, due to a diagnosis of fetal growth retardation (FGR). To our knowledge, these are the most severe HDFN cases caused by cold-reacting IgG anti-M.     

Lack of Association Between Asthma and ABO Blood Group

ABO is the most important blood group system in transfusion and transplantation practices. Glycosyltransferases are controlled by the ABO system which is helpful in building oligosaccharide structures on the cell surface of erythrocytes and vascular endothelium and in the exocrine secretion system, including the respiratory tract. We analyzed the ABO blood group of 200 children and adults with asthma as well as that of 2000 healthy subjects as controls. The most common blood group among the patients and controls was “O” (43.5% and 43.6%, respectively), followed by B, A, and AB. In the distribution of different blood groups, nonsignificant difference between patients and controls was observed (p = 0.931). We conclude that ABO blood group status has a nonsignificant association with asthma among the population of Mysore, Karnataka, South India.     

Mercaptoethanol-Stable Antibody Test Predicting Hemolytic Disease of the Newborn Due to ABO Incompatibility

Abstract. Maternal sera were titrated after 2-mercaptoethanol treatment for anti-A and anti-B agglutinations by the saline and the anti-globulin methods; the results were expressed in titration scores. Each case was graded into mercaptoethanol-stable antibody (MESA) grade 1: A and B mothers with compatible infants; 2: mothers with unaffected incompatible infants; 3: mothers with mild hemolytic disease of the infant, and 4: mothers with severe hemolytic disease of the infant. 925 cases were submitted for the ABO incompatibility tests in 2 years; the babies' sequelae were reported in 131 ABO-incompatible cases. If the tests were done in late pregnancy, severe cases of hemolytic disease of the newborn corresponded to mothers' antenatal antibodies in MESA grade 4, and mild cases to MESA grade 3.     

A New Property of Iso-Agglutinins of the ABO Blood Group System

A new agglutination phenomenon in the ABO group system is described.This phenomenon consists of the development of agglutinates by interactionbetween a single specifically sensitized cell and other unsensitized, nonantigenic cells. Aggregates of cells formed in this way are tentatively describedas "anomalous mixed agglutinates."

Some of the properties of anomalous mixed agglutinates have been investigated, and the impact of these properties on the current theories ofagglutination is briefly discussed.

Submitted on November 21, 1958 Accepted on January 7, 1959     

No Association of Phenotypic ABO Blood Group and Malaria during Pregnancy

Abstract. In a few small studies an association between blood group O and placental malaria has been described. The relationship between blood group and malaria in pregnancy (Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium falciparum) was analyzed in 1,468 women from three longitudinal cohort studies in which weekly malaria screening was done systematically during pregnancy. One-third of women (447 of 1,468) had at least one malaria infection in pregnancy. The ABO blood group phenotype was not associated with the species of infection, frequency of malaria attacks, symptoms of malaria, hematocrit, or parasitemia during pregnancy.     

Reevaluation of the Polyvinylpyrrolidone Sedimentation Test in the Diagnosis of ABO Hemolytic Disease of the Newborn

Abstract. The rate of cord erythrocytes sedimentation in 1.5% polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) solution was investigated. Of 70 infants showing accelerated sedimentation rate, 49 had signs of hemolytic disease. Rh incompatibility did not affect the sedimentation rate. Infectious diseases might cause a slight increase in the rate of sedimentation. The test was found to be very sensitive. It could detect ABO incompatibilities even in absence of marked bilirubinemia. Furthermore, positive identification of incompatibilities were obtained in ABO-HDN cases where both direct and indirect Coombs tests were negative. High correlation was noted between anti A and B titer of maternal sera and the accelerated sedimentation of newborn red blood cells. The erythrocytes sedimentation test in PVP (PVP-ESR test) is recommended for the early detection of cases in which the red cells are affected by IgG anti-A or anti-B.     

Some Properties of Cross Reacting Antibody of the ABO Blood Group System

An account is given of an experiment in which the use of a "blocking"procedure has enabled the site of action of the cross reacting antibody in groupO serum to be shown to be homologous with the A and B antigens of the redcell. In another experiment cross reacting antibody was shown to behaveasymmetrically. In both these experiments use was made of the mixed agglutination technic for directly demonstrating the adherence of two cells of differing specificity by cross reacting antibody.

The significance of the results of these experiments is discussed in the lightof observations by other workers.

Submitted on June 11, 1959 Accepted on August 1, 1959     

ABO Blood Group Differences in Bone Mineral Density of Recovering Alcoholic Males

Since ABO blood group differences are associated with varying responses to many diseases, ABO blood type and bone density were studied in 39 recovering male alcoholics, comparing those with blood type O and non-O. The type O subjects had significantly higher bone densities as measured by quantitative computed tomography of the vertebrae than the non-O subjects (175.4 +/- 8.5 and 140.7 +/- 7.6, respectively, p = 0.004). There were no differences in age and indices of their alcoholism. Using multiple stepwise regression analysis, neither race nor maximal amount of alcohol consumed appeared to contribute to the differences in bone density. Only age, number of years of regular alcohol use and ABO blood type were determinants of the bone density differences. The ABO blood type contributed 20.3% to the differences in bone density (p = 0.001). The patients with non-O blood type lost a significant amount of bone with advancing age (r = -0.76, p = 0.0001) while those with blood type O did not (r = -0.37, p = 0.11). We conclude that, although alcoholism is a factor in the development of osteopenia, in males the ABO blood group status plays a significant role in the maximal mineralization of the skeleton and the amount of bone resorption during ageing, independent of alcohol abuse.     

Loss of Blood Group Antigenicity in a Patient with Hodgkin''s Disease

Abstract. An instance of change in ABO blood group is described in a patient with Hodgkin's disease. The patient's red cells previously grouped as A developed characteristics resembling Am. In addition, I antigenicity became weaker.     

ABO Blood Group Genotype and Plasma von Willebrand Factor in Normal Individuals

von Willebrand factor (vWF) is a multimeric plasma protein with ABO (H) blood group sugar chains. We investigated a total of 330 plasmas from normal individuals having various ABO genotypes, with special reference to vWF antigen and its platelet glycoprotein-Ib-related biological activities, termed ristocetin cofactor (RCof) and botrocetin cofactor (BCof). RCof reflects the biological activity of higher vWF multimers, while BCof reflects that of vWF of multimers of all sizes. Plasmas from normal individuals carrying one O gene (genotypes AO and BO) had slightly, but proportionally lower levels of vWF antigen, RCof, and BCof than those carrying no O gene (genotypes AA, AB, and BB). Normal plasmas from individuals carrying two O genes (genotype 00) showed much lower values for these parameters than the other plasmas, as previously reported. However, multimeric analysis of plasma vWF antigen revealed no differences among the different genotypes.