Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-jr42d Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-19T02:15:58.064Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Some observations on the blood factor RhA of the Rh-Hr blood group system

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 August 2014

Lester J. Unger  and
Alexander S. Wiener
Lester J. Unger
Affiliation:
Blood Bank, New York University-Bellevue Medical Center
Alexander S. Wiener
Affiliation:
Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, New York City

Summary

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

The complex serologic behavior of the Rh-Hr agglutinogens has been underlined by the recent discovery that, with very rare exceptions, associated with blood factor Rh0 of Rh-positive blood, there are numerous other blood factors which we designated RhA, RhB, RhC. Rare Rh-positive individuals exist whose bloods have blood factor Rh0 but lack one or more of the other components. Such individuals can and have become sensitized to the missing blood factor. For example, in the case of an Rh-positive individual lacking blood factor RhA, anti-RhA may be produced. So, too, when RhB and RhC, are lacking, anti-RhB or anti-RhC may be produced. In fact, all 3 have been identified. The resulting anti-RhA, anti-RhB and anti-RhC serums are indistinguishable from “standard” anti-Rh0 serum in parallel tests on a random series of blood specimens, unless the series happens to include one of the rare Rh-positive bloods lacking blood factor RhA (type Rh0a or type Rh1a, etc.).

In the present paper, anti-RhA serum from a sensitized type Rh1a mother whose child had erythroblastosis was used for studies on the distribution and heredity of the RhA blood factor. In addition, attention is called to the fact that Unger and Wiener have identified anti-RhB and anti-RhC although they are reporting at this time their studies with anti-RhA. A total of 2012 blood specimens from Rh0-positive individuals were tested; 951 from Caucasoids and 918 from Negroids. In tests on blood from Caucasoids, a “standard” Rh0 blood factor was invariably associated with a “standard” RhA blood factor. In no instance where the reactions with anti-Rh0 serums were typical was the RhA factor absent or a variant. However, if the Rh0 factor was a variant, 3 possibilities with regard to factor RhA were identified. Either factor RhA was “standard”, or factor RhA was a variant, or factor RhA was absent. This last possibility rarely occurs in Caucasoids since in our series only 1 Caucasoid blood or 0.1 percent lacked RhA blood factor and in that case the Rh0 factor was a variant.

Among the 918 Rh-positive blood specimens from Negroids examined the situation was found to be somewhat different. While a “standard” Rh0, was almost always associated with a “standard” RhA, in 0.9 percent the RhA factor was absent. Among bloods with a Rh0 variant blood factor, just as with Caucasoids, all 3 possibilities were identified, namely bloods with “standard” RhA, with RhA variant, and also bloods with blood factor RhA absent. The incidence of Rh-positive bloods lacking factor RhA was considerably higher among Negroids than among Caucasoids, namely, 1.6 percent in Negroids, as compared with only 0.1 percent in Caucasoids.

One interesting family was studied. The father's blood had the “standard” Rh0 blood factor, but lacked the RhA component (type Rh0a). The mother's blood had the Rh0 variant blood factor, and also lacked blood factor RhA (type ). The child's blood was of the same type as its mother, namely, Rh0 variant and lacking blood factor RhA (type ). The possible genetic explanations for these observations and their clinical significance were discussed.

Type
Research Article
Information
Acta geneticae medicae et gemellologiae: twin research , Volume 8 , supplement S2 , January 1959 , pp. 13 - 25
Copyright
Copyright © The International Society for Twin Studies 1959

References

1. (a) Shapiro, M.: The ABO, MN, P and Rh blood group systems in the South African Bantu. So. African Med. Jour., 25: 187–192, 03 17, 1951.Google Scholar
(b) Argall, C. I., Ball, J. M., and Trentleman, E.: Presence of Anti-D Antibody in the Serum of a DU Patient. J. Lab. Clin. Med., 41: 895–898, 1953.Google Scholar
2. Rosenfield, R. E., Haber, G., and Gibbel, N.: A New Rh Variant. Proceeings, Sixth Congress of the International Society of Blood Transfusiond, pp. 90–95, S. Karger, Basel and New York, 1958.Google Scholar
3. (a) Geiger, J., and Wiener, A. S.: An Rh0. Positive Mother with Serum Containing Potent Rh Antibodies Apparently of Specificity anti-Rh0 . Proceedings, Sixth Congress of the International Society of Blood Transfusion, pp. 36–40, S. Karger, Basel and New York, 1958.Google Scholar
(b) Wiener, A. S, Geiger, J., and Gordon, E. B: Mosaic Nature of the Rh0 Factor of Human Blood. Exp. Med. and Surg., 15: 75–82, 1957.Google Scholar
4. (a) Unger, L. J, and Katz, L.: A Method for Detecting Rh0 Antibodies in Extremely Low Titer. J. Lab. and Clin. Med., 37: 825–827, 1951.Google Scholar
(b) Unger, L. J, and Katz, L.: The Effect of Trypsin on Hemagglutinogens Determining Eight Blood Group Systems. J. Lab. and Clin. Med., 39: 135–141, (01), 1952.Google Scholar
5. Wiener, A. S., Unger, L. J, and Gordon, E. B: New Data on the Distribution of the Rh Blood Types. Proc. Soc. Exp. Biol, and Med., 58: 89–92, (01) 1945.Google Scholar
6. Ceppellini, R., Dunn, L. C., and Turri, M.: An Interaction Between Alleles at the Rh Locus in Man which Weakens the Reactivity of the Rh0 Factor (Du). Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci., 41: 283–288, 1955.Google Scholar
7. (a) Landsteiner, K.: The Specificity of Serological reactions. Rev. ed. Harvard Univ. Press, 1945.Google Scholar
(b) Wiener, A. S, and Wexler, I. B: The Mosaic Structure of Red Blood Cell Agglutinogens. Bacteriol. Rev., 16: 69–87, 1952.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
(c) Wiener, A. S.: Rh-Hr Syllabus. Grune & Stratton N. Y., 1954.Google Scholar
(d) Wiener, A. S, and Wexler, I. B.: Heredity of the Blood Groups. Grune & Stratton N. Y., 1958.Google Scholar
8. (a) Wiener, A. S: The Agglutinogens M and N in Anthropoid Apes. Jour. Immunol. 34: 11–18, 1938.Google Scholar
(b) Landsteiner, K., and Wiener, A. S.: On the Presence of M Agglutinogens in the Blood of Monkeys. Jour. Immunol., 33: 19–23, 1937.Google Scholar
9. (a) Rosenfield, R. E, Vogel, P., Gibbel, N., Sanger, R., and Rage, R. R.: A “New” Antibody, Anti-f. Brit. Med. J., 1: 975, 1953.Google Scholar
(b) Rosenfield, R. E, and Haber, G.: An Rh Blood Factor, rh1 (Ce), and Its Relationship to hr (ce). Am. J. Hum. Genet., 10: 474–480, 1958.Google Scholar
10. Allen, F. H., and Tippett, P. A.: A New Rh Blood Type which Reveals the Rh Antigen G. Vox Sang., 3: 321–330, 1958.Google Scholar
11. Argall, C. I.: Serological Relationships Between the Rh Antigens of the D-Du Series. Ph. D. Thesis, Dept. of Bact., Univ. of Utah, 07, 1955.Google Scholar
12. Stormont, C., Owen, R. D., and Irwin, M. R.: The B and C Systems of Bovine Blood Groups. Genetics, 36: 134–161, 1951.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
13. Unger, L. J.: Rh-Hr Factors and Their Specific Antibodies as Applied to Blood Transfusion. Am. J. Clin Path., 24: 275–291, 1954.Google Scholar