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The International Society of Blood Transfusion Working Party on red cell immunogenetics and blood group terminology convened during the International congress in Cancun, July 2012. This report details the newly identified antigens in existing blood group systems and presents three new blood group systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rare blood types are generally defined as those that occur at a frequency of 1 : 1000 or less. However, some rare blood types have much different frequencies in global regions or specific ethnic groups. This review explores rare blood types in the following categories: rare blood types that lack high-frequency antigens and where to find them, rare blood types that express low-frequency antigens, rare blood types with higher or lower frequencies in the Asia Pacific region and rare blood types that are difficult to find in the Asia Pacific region but are provided by the JRC. In addition, the study of rare blood types has revealed clinical correlations with disease states and resistance to infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the changes and updates made by the International Society of Blood Transfusion committee to the classification in Blood Terminology 2004 during its meeting in Macau Special Administrative Region, China. It states that a new blood group system was established and new antigens were added to Rh, Kell, and Dombrock systems. It also mentions that there are already a total number of 308 antigens recognized at present times.

Background and Objectives Mutations detected in 161 weak D samples from Caucasians have been classified into 16 types. Because flow cytometry using monoclonal anti-D antibodies (mAbs) has shown that weak D red cells display type-specific antigen density, these mutations in transmembranous regions have been assigned weak D phenotypes. The present study attempts to confirm or refute this assignment. Materials and Methods We amplified DNA from four Japanese weak D samples using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and directly sequenced the amplified DNA. Using site-directed mutagenesis, we constructed three vectors expressing mutant RHD s – G212C, V270G (weak D type 1) and G358A (type 2) – in K562 cells. The expression of RhD antigens was examined by flow cytometry using mAbs. Results A new mutation resulting in a conversion at amino acid residue 212 (Gly to Cys) was detected in a Japanese weak D sample. K562 cells transduced with mutant RhD cDNA reacted weakly in a type-specific manner with mAbs. Conclusions The mutations – G212C (new weak D type), V270G (weak D type 1) and G358A (type 2) – in transmembranous regions had obvious effects on the D epitopes recognized by mAbs. The results of this study provide direct evidence that these mutations can account for weak D phenotypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The proportion of B lymphocyte subsets with surface immunoglobulin G (sIgG) was significantly increased in minimal change nephrotic syndrome (MCNS), membranous nephropathy, IgA nephropathy and mesangiocapillary glomerulonephritis (MCON) and with sIgA in IgA nephropathy and MCGN, and with sIgE in MCNS. Increased subsets in membranous nephropathy, IgA nephropathy and MCGN corresponded to the immunoglobulins deposited in the glomeruli, and the increased subset of sIgE in MCNS was correlated with the elevation of serum IgE. These results suggest that each disease studied has a characteristic subset pattern of B lymphocyte response. This may have an important rote in determining the histological type of idiopathic glomerulonephritis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]