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Reactivity of Human Gamma G Erythrocyte Autoantibodies with Fetal, Autologous and Maternal Red Cells 1
Author(s) -
Leddy J. P.
Publication year - 1969
Publication title -
vox sanguinis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.68
H-Index - 83
eISSN - 1423-0410
pISSN - 0042-9007
DOI - 10.1111/j.1423-0410.1969.tb00427.x
Subject(s) - autoantibody , red cell , fetus , immunology , hemolytic anemia , antigen , autoimmune hemolytic anemia , population , biology , antibody , coombs test , red blood cell , cold agglutinin , anemia , medicine , pregnancy , genetics , environmental health
Summary. Human erythrocyte autoantibodies of the γG (‘warm’) type, representing both ‘Rh‐related’ and ‘non‐Rh’ specificities, have been found to react strongly with (a) the red cells of 10–12 week human fetuses, (b) Coombs‐negative autologous red cells obtained during subsequent remission, and (c) the red cells of the patient's own mother. These findings are interpreted to mean that the erythrocyte antigenic determinants with which such autoantibodies react (1) have an early appearance in ontogeny and, therefore, would have an opportunity to promote natural immunologic tolerance; (2) do not undergo a gross, serologically detectable change as the patient recovers from active hemolytic anemia and enters remission. The observations with maternal red cells indicate that the lymphoid cell population responsible for autoantibody synthesis in these patients does not exhibit selective tolerance toward maternal erythrocyte antigens, as might be expected if hemolytic anemia were caused by activation of a previously dormant colony of maternal lymphoid cells.