Uptake of A and B Antigens by Transfused Group O Erythrocytes

Abstract

Summary Group O donor cells recovered from the circulation of group A or B recipients are agglutinable by a proportion of group O sera, and sometimes by a smaller proportion of group B or A sera, showing that they have taken up A or B substance. The uptake of antigen takes about a fortnight to reach a maximum level and no uptake of antigen could be shown following incubation of group O cells with group A1 blood or plasma for 41 hrs. at 37° C in vitro. Résumé Les érythrocytes de donneurs de groupe O récupéré de la circulation de receveurs de groupe A ou B sont agglutinables par certains sérums de groupe O et, parfois, par un petit nombre de sérum de groupe A ou B; ceci démontre que ces érythrocytes récupérés ont accaparé de la substance A ou B. La prise de l'antigène atteint un maximum en quinze jours; on n'observe pas de prise de l'antigène après incubation d'érythrocytes O dans des sérums ou plasma A1 pendant 41 heures à 37° C. Zusammenfassung O‐Spendererythrozyten, die aus dem Kreislauf von A oder B‐Empfängern stammen, werden durch zahlreiche O‐Seren sowie, wenn auch seltener, durch B‐ bzw. A‐Seren agglutiniert. Dies beruht darauf, daß sie im Empfängerkreislauf A‐ oder B‐Blutgruppensubstanz aufgenommen haben. Die Antigenaufnahme erfolgt langsam und erreicht ungefähr nach 14 Tagen das Maximum. Anläßlich der in‐vitro‐Inkubation bei 37° C von O‐Zellen in A1‐Blut oder Plasma während 41 Stunden konnte keine Antigenaufnahme festgestellt werden.

Severe Delayed Hemolytic Transfusion Reaction Complicating an ABO-Incompatible Bone Marrow Transplantation

“…Reported methods of patient preparation for major ABO-incompatible transplant where the re cipient has ABO antibodies directed against donor red cells include: whole blood or occurring during a severe delayed hemolytic transfusion reaction. It supports the obser vation that IgG anti-A and anti-B induce spherocytosis and in vivo agglutination [23,24], It also suggests that the earliest observ able morphologic change in delayed hemo lysis is the appearance of bite cells, and dem onstrates the formation of intercellular erythrocyte bridges, probably comprised of cell membrane containing IgG.…”

“…The red cell aggre gates are thought to be loose and easily dis rupted [22], producing the transient devel opment of the striking mixed field reaction. In addition, it is possible that some of the patient's own group O red cells were tran siently incorporated into these agglutinins since it has been shown that group O red cells can passively absorb A and B substance and be induced to agglutinate with the ap propriate antiserum [23]. Although we could not document that this phenomenon occurred in our patient, he did receive 5 lit ers of group AB fresh frozen plasma, four units of group AB red cells, and group AB bone marrow, containing substantial amounts of A and B substances.…”

A and B and A(1)Le^b Substances in Glycosphingolipid Fractions of Human Serum

“…The observation in 1962 by Renton and Hancock [13] that A and B substances in plasma can be taken up by circulating O cells can now be explained by our finding that these substances, like Lea and Leb, are probably glycosphingolipids. Like cells which have adsorbed A or B substance in vivo [13], cells which are transformed in vitro by lipid fractions are rarely ag glutinated by the anti-A (or anti-B) formed by B (or A) subjects.…”

“…Because, like Lewis antigens, A and B [13] and A1Leb [3,18] are adsorbed onto red cells in vivo, it seemed likely that these antigens in plasma would be glycosphingolipids. We now describe the finding of A and B and AjLeb in Table I.…”

A Method of Separating Agglutinated and Free Erythrocytes

“…In the course of an investigation into the uptake of A and B antigen by transfused group O erythro cytes, for example, no difficulty was encountered in separating group O cells from the circulation of a group A patient who had received only 500 ml of group 0 blood forty-eight days previously [2].…”