Human blood groups

Contamination of blood products with lymphocytes can lead to transfusion-induced reactions ranging from a mild fever to severe reactions such as alloimmunization and graft versus host disease (GvHD), in which the transfused lymphocytes (graft) survive the defensive immune reaction of the patient (host) and start a reaction which destroys the cells of the host. The patient also may develop an immune response to the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) type of the graft s cells and reject all platelet transfusions that do not match their own HLA system. The HLA system, found on blood platelets and lymphocytes, is more compHcated than, but similar to, the ABO blood group system of red cells. 

Transfusion-induced autoimmune disease has been a significant complication in the treatment of patients who require multiple platelet transfusions. Platelets and lymphocytes carry their own blood group system, ie, the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) system, and it can be difficult to find an HLA matched donor. A mismatched platelet transfusion does not induce immediate adverse reactions, but may cause the patient to become refractory to the HLA type of the transfused platelets. The next time platelets with an HLA type similar to that of the transfused platelets are transfused, they are rejected by the patient and thus have no clinical efficacy. Exposure to platelets originating from different donors is minimized by the use of apheresis platelets. One transfusable dose (unit) of apheresis platelets contains 3-5 x 10 platelets. An equal dose of platelets from whole blood donation requires platelets from six to eight units of whole blood. Furthermore, platelets can be donated every 10 days, versus 10 weeks for whole blood donations. 

It has been known for more than a century that human blood can be classified into four blood-group types (A, B, AB, and 0) and that blood from a donor of one type can t be transfused into a recipient with another type unless the two types are compatible (Table 25.1). Should an incompatible mix be made, the red blood cells clump together, or agglutinate. 

Chemistry of Tissues. 3. Blood Group Substances from Human Gastric Contents, H. G. Bray, H. Henry, and M. Stacey, Biochem. J., 40 (1946) 130-134. 

To study the binding mode of the yS-D-galactopyranosyl residue of the Lewis b human blood-group determinant to its monoclonal antibody or to a lectin, methyl 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-3-0-(6-deoxy-6-fluoro-2-0-a-L-fuco-pyranosyl-y -D-galactopyranosyl)-4-0-a-L-fucopyranosyl-/ -D-glucopyrano-side was synthesized. ... 

Daniels G A century of human blood groups. Wien Klin Wochen-schr 2001 113 781. 

Smith, H.V., Kusel, J.R. and Girdwood, R.W.A. (1983) The production of human A and B blood group like substances by in vitro maintained second stage Toxocara canis larvae their presence on the outer larval surfaces and in their excretions/secretions. Clinical and Experimental Immunology 54, 625-633. 

Blood Groups B and O carbohydrates from human saliva and gastric muon... 

These specific substances or blood group factors are detected by their property of inhibiting agglutinin reactions between human erythrocytes and heterologous human sera. This is the so-called isoagglutinin test which can detect the factors in dilutions of more than 1 part in 10 million. An even more sensitive but less specific test is their power to inhibit hemolysis of sheep s erythrocytes by the serum of rabbits immunized with certain human corpuscles. 

Nakajima, M., Ito, N., Nishi, K., Okamura, Y., and Hirota, T. (1988) Cytochemical localization of blood group substances in human salivary glands using lectin-gold complexes. /. Histochem. Cytochem. 36, 337-348. 

Figure 9.12 Deoxy derivatives. These contain one less oxygen atom than the monosaccharide from which they are derived. 2-Deoxyribose is a most important deoxy pentose and is a major constituent of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). Deoxy hexoses are widely distributed among plants, animals and microorganisms especially as components of complex polysaccharides. Examples are rhamnose (6-deoxymannose), a component of bacterial cell walls, and fucose (6-deoxygalactose), which is often found in glycoproteins and is an important constituent of human blood group substances.

Schacht, L. E. and Gershowitz, Ff. (1963). Frequency of extra-marital children as determined by blood groups. In Proc. Second lnternat. Cong. Human Gent., (Ed. Gedda, L.), pp. 894- 897, G. Rome Mendel. 

Bjork, S., Breimer, M. E., Hansson, G. C., Karlsson, K.-A., and Leffler, H. (1987). Structures of blood group glycosphingolipids of human small intestine. A relation between the expression of fucolipids of epithelial cells and the ABO, Le and Se phenotype of the donor. /. Biol. Chem. 262, 6758-6765. 

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