M. J. Celano

A Second Example of —/— or Rhnull Blood

The second example of a —/— or Rhnull, LW‐negative individual is described, who delivered a mildly affected infant and produced only anti‐e. The proposita is a member of a large family and their probable genotypes are known. The parents, who are not related to each other, are R1R1, father, and R1r mother, so that the proposita could be either [R1R1) or [R1r], but none of the Rh antigens are expressed. Her husband is rr and their first infant is R1r. Thus the proposita transmits R1 to her child. Scoring titrations reveal that 12 out of the 16 members of the family, including the parents of the proposita and her child have diminished reactivity of D, C, c, and e.

Anti‐LW Specificity in Autoimmune Acquired Hemolytic Anemia

Anti‐LW has been demonstrated in six unselected cases of acquired hemolytic anemia, either by direct testing or after absorption of the sera and cell eluates with Rh‐positive or Rh‐negative LW‐negative cells. Another antibody which is directed toward the Rh complex is also present as indicated by reactions with all bloods except Rhnull. A third agglutinin, apparently nonspecific, is indicated by the reactions of some sera with all bloods including Rhnullnull.

The influence of gene interaction on dosage effects with complete anti-D sera.

Strong reactions with complete anti‐D sera can be demonstrated with D positive bloods provided that the C factor is not available to suppress the reactivity of D when it is either in the cis or trans position. Aside from the so‐called deletion types the only common genotype satisfying these conditions ‐ DcE/DcE (R2R2) ‐ gives distinctly stronger reactions with complete anti‐D sera suggestive of dosage effects. On the basis of the Ceppellini effect, it is assumed that in the homozygote DCe/DCe (R1R1) there is a two‐way suppression of D since each D is in trans position to C. The possibility of an alternative explanation i.e., suppression of D by C in the cis position is still to be considered.

Agglutinating specificity for LW factor in guinea pig and rabbit anti-Rh serums.

Serums produced in guinea pigs or rabbits inocutlated with monkey (rhesuts or baboon) or human red cells contain the same high-incidence agglutinating activity found in human antiLW serumls. After one absorption with LW-negative blood cells. anti-LW specificity, was observed with stronger reactions on Rh-positive than Rh-megative cells. The 85-percent specificity was obtained after complete absorption with Rh-negative blood.

On anti-M in horse sera.

The unexpected findings of an N or N‐like factor in horse red cells as revealed in tests with extracts of Vicia graminea and the presence of the corresponding anti‐M as a naturally occurring antibody serve as another example of the Landsteiner rule of reciprocal relationship of agglutinogen on the erythrocyte and corresponding reciprocal antibody in the serum. Still another illustration of the Landsteiner de was shown by Celano, Levine and Lunge in the case of rhesus blood [l]. Rhesus sera contain anti‐A and the presence of the expected B or B‐like factor in rhesus red cells could be shown by their capacity to yield eluates of anti‐B specificity after exposure to human anti‐B. Prior to this the presence of B‐like material had been shown only in monkey saliva. Other examples in human blood are the regular occurrences of anti‐H in the serum of the Bombay type of blood, Oh [S], and the presence of anti‐Tja in all individuals of type TjbTjb [3].

Studies on Eluates from Rhesus and Human A0 Red Cells

This paper deals with the more ready demonstration of weakly reactive agglutinable factors on the surface of the red cells with the use of eluates. In this manner, B‐like substances were demonstrated in each of three samples of rhesus bloods and the A factor in two human bloods of subtype A,. Accordingly, the Landsteiner rule of reciprocal relationship of agglutinogens in the red cells and agglutinins in the serum holds not only for A0 bloods but also for rhesus bloods.

The Antigenicity of Lewie (Lea) Substance in Saliva Coated on to Tanned Red Cells

Tanned rabbit red blood cells coated with Lea substance from human saliva or purified pseudomucinous ovarian cyst fluid produced agglutinating anti‐Lea in rabbits. The results again indicate that soluble substance obtained from body fluids and other sources when coated on to tanned red cells can be used to stimulate antibody production.