Implications of NA1/NA2 and SH genotyping results in the Polish population with regard to the new nomenclature of granulocyte alloantigens

The above letters of Guz et al. and Steffensen et al. were sent to Dr. Bux, who offered the following reply.

“…The letter of Guz et al 1 closes with the recommendation that persons typed SH‐positive by the use of our SH primer should be retyped with the NA2 primer described by Steffensen et al 7 However, genotyping by PCR‐SSP only determines whether the nucleotide sequence given by the SSP is present in the genome. Because the NA2‐ and SH‐specific primers described by us properly determine the genotypes that are responsible for the amino acid substitutions associated with NA2 and SH (HNA‐1b and ‐1c) phenotypes, there is no need for retyping, unless an investigator is interested in knowing whether an SH (HNA‐1c)‐positive person might have an NA2 ( FCGR3B*02 ) allele in addition to the SH ( FCGR3B*03 ) allele.…”

“…On the basis of a family study, Guz et al support in their letter 1 the close linkage of the NA1 ( FCGR3B*01 ) allele to the SH ( FCGR3B*03 ) allele that was reported by Steffensen et al 7 for the Danish population. However, in contrast to Steffensen et al, who did not find SH‐positive, NA1‐negative persons in the Danish population, Guz et al found four Polish individuals with this genotype.…”

“…This requires that all HNA‐1c‐positive persons have two FcγRIIIb genes on one chromosome. However, many HNA‐1c‐positive persons with two FcγRIIIb genes have been found by us, 6 by Guz et al, 1 and even by Steffensen et al 7 Thus, the latter researchers have to confirm their proposal by additional experimental data. Every proposal concerning granulocyte antigen nomenclature should be sent to the Granulocyte Antigen Working Party, which will discuss it in detail.…”

“…Increasing knowledge of the biochemical and molecular nature of antigens causes additional problems with traditional nomenclatures, as evidenced by the letter of Guz et al 1 concerning neutrophil FcγRIIIb polymorphisms. Traditional nomenclatures were used for the phenotype, as well as the genotype, on the basis of the notion that an antibody recognizes a polymorphism of an antigen encoded by one allele of a gene locus.…”

Mice with osteopontin deletion remain predisposed to collagen‐induced arthritis

“…It has become increasingly clear that the SH locus may be apart from the NA locus (21), and that there are haplotypes that contain 2 or no FCGR3B loci (21)(22)(23). Indeed, we observed 5 families in which the FCGR3B alleles did not segregate in a Mendelian manner, 1 individual deficient for FCGR3B, and 7 individuals possessing NA1, NA2, and SH.…”