Expression of the blood group I, i, H, and A1 antigens on erythrocyte membranes studied by immunofluorescence.
A double immunofluorescence technique was used to study the expression of I, i, H and A1 antigens on individual erythrocytes of neonates, adult controls and patients with various haematological disorders. I, i and H staining was heterogeneously distributed from cell to cell as was already demonstrated for A1 antigen. i staining occured in 41 to 64% of cord cells (11 to 32% were strongly fluorescent) but only in 0.2 to 2.3% of adult erythrocytes. I staining occurred in 54 to 97.5% of adult erythrocytes but only in 1 to 14% of those of cord blood. Patients' cells tended to mimic a foetal pattern of heterogeneity in that an increase of i stained cells occured associated with a decrease of A1 or H stained cells. It is suggested that the foetal-like red cells observed in patients with haematological disorders result from an expansion of a normal process of differentiation rather than clonal development of abnormal cells.
D000017:ABO Blood-Group System / Q000276:immunology*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001789:Blood Group Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique / Q000379:methods*; D006402:Hematologic Diseases / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007048:I Blood-Group System / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
D000017:ABO Blood-Group System; D001789:Blood Group Antigens; D007048:I Blood-Group System