A review of the Chido/Rodgers blood group

The C4 protein plays an important role in maintaining health and, in some situations complicated by poor expression of the C4 protein, may lead to or exacerbate certain diseases. The blood groups Chido and Rodgers are epitopes on the C4 protein, and polymorphisms associated with these epitopes may lead to the formation of antibodies to the Chido or Rodgers antigens in transfused patients. Identification of anti-Ch or anti-Rg is still based on the antibody neutralization with plasma from Ch-positive or Rg-positive individuals and lack of reactivity with qualified Ch-negative or Rg-negative RBCs. These antibodies may be useful in genetic studies of C4 polymorphisms or, in the case of C4-deficient patients, a signal of the potential for serious illnesses. The recognition of the extreme polymorphism of the C4 gene and the gene complex RCCX should lead to more insights in the understanding of disease risk and potential treatment.

High molecular weight blood group A trisaccharide-polyacrylamide glycoconjugates as synthetic blood group A antigens for anti-A antibody removal devices

Specific immunoadsorption of blood group antibodies by synthetic antigens immobilized on support matrices in the peri-transplantation period provides a promising solution to hyperacute rejection risk following ABO-incompatible transplantation. In this study, we investigated binding interactions between anti-A antibodies and synthetic blood group A trisaccharide conjugated with polyacrylamide of different molecular weights (30 and 1000 kDa). The glycopolymers were equipped with biotin tags and deposited on streptavidin-coated sensor chips. The affinity and kinetics of anti-A antibodies binding to glycoconjugates were studied using surface plasmon resonance (SPR). The high molecular weight conjugate (Atri-PAA(1000)-biotin) enhanced antibody binding capacity by two to three fold compared with the low molecular weight conjugate (Atri-PAA(30)-biotin), whereas varying the carbohydrate content in Atri-PAA(1000)-biotin (20 mol % or 50 mol %) did not affect antibody binding capacity of the glycoconjugate. The obtained results suggest that immunoadsorption devices, especially hollow fiber-based antibody filters which are limited in available surface area for antigen immobilization, may greatly benefit from the new synthetic high molecular weight polyacrylamide glycoconjugates.

[Contribution of the genetic fingerprintings compared to grouping ABO/Rhesus technique in the expertise of filiation]

Paternity is based on biological analyzes that have drastically developed during the past 20 years. According to scientific developments, paternity testing was based on red blood groups studies, the analysis of red cell enzymes and plasma proteins polymorphisms, the typing of the HLA antigens, and the DNA polymorphism in its various forms. This study aims at comparing two analyses: red blood groups and DNA polymorphism. The performance of each test is analyzed in this report, based on a study of 142 cases. Indeed, the numbers of case of paternity exclusion are respectively 6 and 45 by the classic method and the genetic one. Thanks to studies based on the gene amplification of microsatellites, the efficiency of this reference technique has been proved, however, the classic one makes it possible in the cases of exclusion to lead to a certain decision without recourse to other systems. Of these facts, beyond the most efficient biological analysis, it is very important to think about paternity testing as a process in which biological tests are only one step.

Back to the Beginnings: An Autobiography

After receiving BS and MS degrees from the University of Washington in Seattle, I entered its new medical school in 1947, receiving an MD degree in 1951. After internship and residency, I obtained a 2-year postdoctoral fellowship in hematology under the guidance of Dr Clement Finch. The last 6 months of the fellowship were spent in London, England, at Dr Patrick Mollison's Blood Transfusion Research Unit. There I met and worked with Marie Cutbush (later Crookston) who has been a long-term friend. On returning to Seattle, I joined the faculty of the medical school and became the associate director of the Puget Sound Blood Center. There, I supervised the blood typing and cross-matching laboratory, introducing methods I had learned in London and measuring the effectiveness of various cross-matching procedures. My own research was largely directed toward human genetic polymorphism, and I wrote a textbook published in 1969, describing the biochemical structure, function, inheritance, and geographic distribution of the genetic markers. Subsequently, I discovered that 2 forms of inherited immunodeficiency disease were due to deficiencies of the enzymes adenosine deaminase and purine nucleoside phosphorylase. In 1979, I became the director of the blood center and was shortly afterwards elected to the National Academy of Sciences. I retired in 1987 and have spent most of the intervening years relearning to play the violin and exploring the wonders of chamber music.

Blood Transfusionist Extraordinaire: Marie Cutbush Crookston

After receiving her BSc from the University of Melbourne, Australia, Marie set sail for England to pursue a career. In London, she worked with Dr P.L. Mollison for 10 years, and together they published many articles in the areas of hemolytic disease of the newborn, red cell survival, red cell preservation, and the identification of new antibodies. In 1957, she married Dr John Crookston and moved to Toronto. In Toronto, she directed and participated in various research projects while acting as a consultant to the Blood Transfusion Laboratory at Toronto General Hospital. Her enthusiasm for the field of Transfusion Medicine, her keen eye, and intellect resulted in many discoveries, both on her own or in collaboration with others. Marie is now retired but is fondly remembered by Blood Transfusionists in Canada and elsewhere.

LU21: a new high-frequency antigen in the Lutheran blood group system

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

The Lutheran blood group system comprises 18 antigens numbered LU1 to LU20, with two numbers obsolete. Thirteen antigens are of high frequency.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Serological tests were performed by conventional methods. The monoclonal antibody-specific immobilization of erythrocyte antigens (MAIEA) assay was carried out with monoclonal antibodies to Lutheran glycoprotein. All exons of the LU gene were amplified by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and directly sequenced from genomic DNA.

RESULTS

A patient was found to have an antibody to a high-frequency red cell antigen during her second pregnancy. The antibody was shown to be Lutheran-related and was distinguished from all reported Lutheran antibodies. MAIEA suggested the antibody was defining a novel epitope in domain 1 of the Lu-glycoprotein. Sequencing of the LU gene revealed a new homozygous single-point mutation, C282G, in exon 3, encoding an Asp94Glu change in the first domain of the Lu-glycoprotein.

CONCLUSIONS

The antibody detected a new high-frequency Lutheran antigen, numbered LU21, that appears to result from an Asp94Glu substitution in the first, N-terminal domain of the Lu-glycoprotein.

Recombinant forms of Gerbich blood group antigens: expression and purification

Recombinant forms of normal glycophorin C (GPC), carrying the high frequency Gerbich blood group antigens, and its natural deletion mutants of Yus and Ge type (all combined with oligohistidyl tag) were expressed in CHO and COS 7 cells. The stable expression of all recombinant forms of GPC in CHO cells was obtained, but the level of expression was low and detectable only by flow cytometry. The high level of transient expression of GPC recombinant forms in COS 7 cells allowed their purification on Ni-NTA-agarose. The purified recombinant GPC and mutants of Yus and Ge type behaved in SDS-PAGE similarly to normal GPC forms from RBC membranes. The recombinant GPC.Yus and GPC.Ge mutants appeared as diffuse bands, suggesting the similar heterogeneity of glycosylation that was observed in natural GPC.Yus and GPC.Ge glycoproteins. The flow cytometry analysis of the transfected CHO and COS 7 cells showed that binding of anti-GPC monoclonal antibodies to GPC variants was accordant with the known fine specificity of these antibodies. The obtained recombinant forms of GPC carrying common Gerbich antigens may be useful in serology, and also as model molecules for structure-function studies.

The red cell LW blood group protein is an intercellular adhesion molecule which binds to CD11/CD18 leukocyte integrins

Leukocyte adhesion involves the leukocyte-specific integrins CD11a/CD18, CD11b/CD18 and CD11c/CD18, which bind to intercellular adhesion molecules (ICAM). Three ICAM have been described, and are expressed on leukocytes and various other cells, but are absent from red cells. Here, we show that the red cell Landsteiner-Wiener (LW) blood group glycoprotein is an ICAM which binds to the leukocyte-specific integrins. This finding has important implications in red cell physiology.

Freeze-thaw effects on the detection of blood group substances in detergent extracts by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA)

The sensitivity of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for human blood group antigens extracted from blood stains with the surfactant, n-octyl-beta-D-glucopyranoside (OBG), at concentrations below the critical micelle concentration can be increased by the introduction of a single freeze-thaw step. The ELISA signals increase from 3- to 4-fold for OBG extracts of 80 nl bloodstains. The ELISA signal enhancement occurs irrespective of the age of the bloodstains, at least for bloodstains up to 1 year old. The origin of the effect has been investigated and its is demonstrated that the freeze-thawing cycle increases the extent of adsorption of the blood group determinants in OBG-solubilized complexes onto microtitre plates. Gel filtration has been used to analyse the composition of OBG extracts of bloodstains in terms of the carriers of the blood group substances, protein and phospholipid in fresh and freeze-thawed extracts. It was found that freeze-thawing alters the distribution of blood group active material in the lipid-protein OBG complexes leading to a greater proportion of blood group active material in higher molecular weight complexes. The freeze-thaw effect is eliminated on the addition of a cryoprotectant, such as glycerol, and the factors which contribute to changes in the microstructure of OBG extracts on freeze-thawing are discussed.

Immuno- and histochemical studies on galactan and human blood group-related receptors in the bovine lung

Using a monoclonal anti-galactan antibody and streptococcus B type II antibody, the distribution of lung galactan could be demonstrated for the first time in a vertebrate organ. In addition to the immunochemical demonstration of the bovine lung galactan, a human blood group A-like glycoprotein is detectable by lectinological methods in the bovine lung tissue. Various other lectin-receptors, for instance those of the peanut lectin (PNA) or for lectins with L-fucose (UEA) and N-acetyl-lactosamine (ECA) specificity show a typical staining pattern in bovine lung.

Identification of an erythrocyte component carrying the Duffy blood group Fya antigen

The erythrocyte component carrying the Duffy blood group antigen Fya has been identified as a 35- to 43-kilodalton protein. The protein is degraded by proteases, chymotrypsin, and Pronase, which destroy its antigenicity on intact erythrocytes. Its unusual property of aggregating on being boiled in 5 percent sodium dodecyl sulfate with 5 percent 2-mercaptoethanol distinguishes it from other erythrocyte membrane proteins described to date.

Dissociation of MNSs antigens using sodium deoxycholate fraction of erythrocyte membranes

A dissociation of the MNSs blood group system has been demonstrated by sodium deoxycholate fractionation of erythrocyte membrane preparations. The MN antigens were localized in a fraction that sedimented at 30,000 g while the Ss antigens remained soluble after 100,000 g centrifugation for donors who were heterozygous at the MN locus. In contrast, fractions derived from erythrocytes of 'homozygous' M or N donors showed M or N activity in both the 30,000 g pellet and 100,000 g supernatant and Ss remained in the 100,000 g supernatant.