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Blood group A 1 and A 2 revisited: an immunochemical analysis
Author(s) -
Svensson L.,
Rydberg L.,
De Mattos L. C.,
Henry S. M.
Publication year - 2009
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.1423-0410.2008.01112.x
Subject(s) - glycolipid , phenotype , monoclonal antibody , biology , antibody , biochemistry , immunology , gene
Background and Objective The basis of blood group A 1 and A 2 phenotypes has been debated for many decades, and still the chemical basis is unresolved. The literature generally identifies the glycolipid chemical differences between blood group A 1 and A 2 phenotypes as being poor or no expression of A type 3 and A type 4 structures on A 2 red cells, although this assertion is not unanimous. Materials and Methods Using purified glycolipids and specific monoclonal antibodies, we revisited the glycolipid basis of the A 1 and A 2 phenotypes. Purified glycolipids were extracted from four individual A 1 and four individual A 2 blood units. One blood unit from an A weak subgroup was also included. Monoclonal anti‐A reagents including those originally used to define the basis of A 1 and A 2 phenotypes were used in a thin layer chromatography – enzyme immunoassay to identify the presence of specific glycolipids. Results A type 3 glycolipid structures were found to be present in large amounts in all phenotypes. In contrast, the A type 4 glycolipid structure was virtually undetectable in the A 2 phenotype, but was present in the A 1 and A subgroup samples. Conclusion The major glycolipid difference between the A 1 and A 2 phenotypes is the dominance of A type 4 glycolipids in the A 1 phenotype.