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According to the hypothesis of Ceppellini and Morgan the Lewis blood groups are formed by the secondary attachment of the Lewis substances to the red blood cells and this process is genetically controlled by the genes of the ABH und Lewis(a)-substance secretion (SE, se, L and 1). The correctness of this hypothesis is demonstrated by determination of the Lewis blood groups and the ABH and Lewis secretor status with different suitable antisera and by estimation of the gene frequencies Se, se, L and 1 in a sample of 382 blood donors from Schleswig-Holstein and by determination of the same groups in 73 pairs of parents with 156 children. There are no significant differences between observation and expectation in the sample as well as in the family investigation and there are no critical pairs of parents having children with "impossible" Lewis blood group. The results suggest to make more use of the Lewis blood groups.

Erythrocytes of group 0 cde/cde successively treated with bromelin and beta-glucuronidase (DFE) react not only with antibodies (anti-DFE) contained in the IgM-fraction of each human serum but also with Rh-specific antibodies of the IgG-fraction of anti-Rh-sera. This indicates, that the enzyme treatment makes accessible two different possibly crossreacting structures. Since anti-DFE is contained in the IgM-fraction of all human-sera, the antigenic determinant reacting with anti-DFE is considered a polyagglutinogen not identical with the well known polyagglutination-phenomena (T, Tn and Cad) as it is shown by comparative investigations with anti-T and anti-Tn as well as anti-Cad active seed extracts.

The serum of a patient (Mr. Lat) with the regular blood group A1 B contains an anti-B reacting with all cells having a B antigen except Bx and cis AB. The anti-B reacts at 4 degrees C and occasionally at room temperature as shown by agglutination, absorption-eluction and by thermo-dynamic assays. The antibody is regarded as an irregular autoantibody belonging to the group of the so called "suppressed" or "latent" antibodies.

In order to desintegrate the membranes and to isolate Rh antigens erythrocytes with well defined Rh patterns are treated with ultrasonic waves. The results of investigation of the homogenous sonicates allow the following tentative conclusions: The Rh antignes (C and E) are combined obviously with certain functional membrane areas of a given size. After sonication the activity of the sonicate to neutralize specific antibodies is greater than the activity of the same amount of untreated cells. It is supposed that this effect is caused by making accessible hidden antigens that are inaccessible in the intact membrane. Immunization of rabbits with the sonicates does not stimulate Rh-specific antibodies.