Characterization of antibodies produced by S-s- individuals.
BACKGROUND
Historically, classification of U- and U variant (U+var) individuals has been made by hemagglutination and adsorption and elution studies performed with polyclonal U antisera. Molecular studies and serologic tests with a potent monoclonal anti-He have shown that U+var red cells, some of which are He+, possess an altered form of glycophorin B.


METHODS
Seventeen sera, previously determined to contain anti-U, were tested with a panel of red cells of common and rare MNS types.


RESULTS
Five sera contained anti-U only, and 12 sera contained broadly reactive antibodies with apparent, but inseparable, anti-U,He or anti-U,N,He specificities.


CONCLUSIONS
The majority of antibodies produced by S-s-U- individuals are anti-U plus anti-glycophorin B and are analogous to the broadly reactive antibodies produced by En(a-) individuals whose red cells lack glycophorin A or have altered glycophorin A. To avoid further immunization of patients with anti-U, sera used for classification of S-s-U- donors should be selected to detect S-s- red cells that possess altered forms of glycophorin B.
Storry
J R
JR
New York Blood Center, New York, USA.
Reid
M E
ME
D000918:Antibody Specificity; D002918:Chymotrypsin / Q000494:pharmacology; D003298:Coombs Test; D000939:Epitopes / Q000276:immunology; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000276:immunology; D006021:Glycophorins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007163:Immunosorbent Techniques; D007518:Isoantibodies / Q000097:blood*; D008951:MNSs Blood-Group System / Q000276:immunology*; D010206:Papain / Q000494:pharmacology; D010641:Phenotype; D014357:Trypsin
D000939:Epitopes; D006021:Glycophorins; D007518:Isoantibodies; D008951:MNSs Blood-Group System; D002918:Chymotrypsin; D014357:Trypsin; D010206:Papain