A New Low‐Frequency Antigen BOW (Bowyer)

Abstract

BOW is a 'new' low-frequency red-cell antigen, detected in 2 unrelated English blood donors, that is sensitive to alpha-chymotrypsin and pronase. Anti-BOW is present in many polyspecific reagents used to define low-frequency antigens. Red-cell groups of the proposita, R.B., and her family show that the BOW blood group segregates independently from the ABO, Rh, MNSs, P1 and Kell blood group systems.

Amino acid substitutions in human erythroid protein band 3 account for the low‐incidence antigens NFLD and BOW

“…The International Society of Blood Transfusion (ISBT) Working Party on Terminology for Red Cell Surface Antigens has grouped private antigens not belonging to the established blood group systems in a holding file known as the 700 series. Two long‐standing members of this group, NFLD (700.37) and BOW (700.46), were originally described in 1984 1 and 1988, 2 respectively. Serologically, NFLD and BOW are well‐characterized 3,4 ; genetically, family studies have excluded NFLD from 10 of the established blood group systems and BOW from 5 of them.…”