Biotinylation modifies red cell antigens.
BACKGROUND
Chemical biotinylation of red cell membranes may be useful for several clinical applications, including red cell survival studies.


METHODS
To examine the possible effects of biotinylation on red cell antigens, standard hemagglutination assays were performed on matched sets of control and biotinylated red cells. The red cells were biotinylated at a final concentration of 2.0 pg of sulfo-N-hydroxysuccinimide-biotin per cell, and antigen-negative cells were directly compared to antigen-positive cells when possible. The hemagglutination assays were graded in a blinded fashion. Forty-one red cell antigens from 21 of the 23 established blood group systems were tested.


RESULTS
Hemagglutination based upon antibody binding to A, A1, M, N, S, s, P1, D, C, E, c, e, C(w), Lu(b), K, k, Kp(b), Le(a), Le(b), Fy(a), Fy(b), Jk(a), Jk(b), Di(a), Wr(a), Wr(b), Yt(a), Xg(a), Sc1, Do(b), Co(a), Ch, H, Ge2, Cr(a), Kn(a), I, and P was not affected by biotinylation. Unexpectedly, the hemagglutination of Di(b+) and LW(a+) red cells was blocked after biotinylation. Conversely, MH04 monoclonal anti-A agglutinated red cells expressing B only after biotinylation. BIRMA-1 monoclonal anti-A and polyclonal anti-A from sera did not agglutinate the biotinylated B red cells.


CONCLUSIONS
Biotinylation of human red cells specifically modified their antigenicity, as measured by standard hemagglutination assays.
Warren G. Magnuson Department of Transfusion Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
H
H
Cowley
U
U
Wojda
K M
KM
Cipolone
J L
JL
Procter
D F
DF
Stroncek
J L
JL
Miller
D019921:Biotinylation; D001789:Blood Group Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D006386:Hemagglutination Tests; D006801:Humans; D007519:Isoantigens / Q000097:blood*; D010641:Phenotype
D001789:Blood Group Antigens; D007519:Isoantigens