Lectins for polyagglutinable red cells: Cytisus scoparius, Spartium junceum and Vicia villosa.
Three seed sources of lectins which are of potential value in the classification of red cell polyagglutinability are described.
Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to G W Bird.
Three seed sources of lectins which are of potential value in the classification of red cell polyagglutinability are described.
Human sera were screened by passive haemagglutination for antibodies to various sugars. A high incidence of antibodies to melibiose was observed. There were also a few antibodies to other sugars and to dextran.
A blood group A1 patient on renal dialysis developed transient low-titre, high-avidity anti-A autoantibodies and concurrently a gross depression of the A antigen. The antibodies were clearly anti-A and had no association with I, i or N antigens. They reacted in saline, papain and antiglobulin systems but were inactivated by albumin. Their pathogenesis is obscure.
In 9 out of 26 newborns with necrotising enterocolitis (NEC) exposure of the Thomsen-cryptantigen (T-antigen), probably due to the action of circulating bacterial neuraminidase, was demonstrated on red blood cells. The serological titres seemed to correlate with the clinical course of the disease. Neuraminidase-producing clostridia were isolated in two of the patients. Reaction between the exposed T-antigen and anti-T-agglutinins, normally present in human blood, may lead to difficulties during blood transfusion. This potential transfusion hazard is best avoided by routine T-antigen-tests and by transfusion of packed or washed red blood cells to T-antigen-positive patients.
A predominantly Cad-specific lectin is present in the seeds of Leonurus cardiaca. Extracts of these seeds makes a valuable addition to reagents used in the elucidation of red cell polyagglutinability.
The genotypes of the children of R1r, R2r, and R1R2 fathers, and Rh-immunized rr mothers, were examined. R1r fathers had an excess of R1r over rr children, and R1R2 fathers had an excess of R1 r over R2r children. These asymmetries confirm the findings of a previous study. The possibilities of artefactual self-selection, of genotyping errors, and of errors in assigning paternity, were examined and excluded. Alternative models of genetic transmission and of antigenic structure were studied, but no basis for explaining the findings was found or formulated. Three possible biological explanations were formulated including (a) asymmetric segregation of the rhesus genes, (b) selective early fetal loss, and (c) a selective effect upon the performance of sperms bearing different haplotypes. The first of these three appeared unlikely. The data did not provide a basis for supporting or rejecting or differentiating the other two.
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A single genetic defect in membrane synthesis--namely, a deficiency of 3-beta-D-galactosyltransferase--can account for the serological and physicochemical properties of Tn-polyagglutinable erythrocytes.
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Tk polyagglutinable erythrocytes are described in which A and H activities were reduced. It is suggested that Bacteroides fragilis isolated from cultures of the patient's blood was responsible for each of these membrane modifications.
A family with examples of the rare condition known as 'inherited mosaicism affecting the ABO blood groups' has been studied. In this family there were five examples of Bmos:O mosaicism. Blood group gene-specified transferase estimations were studied in this condition for the first time. In 'affected' members, levels of B gene-specified transferase were low, and amounted to only 7--10% of the activity of a normal control. It is proposed that Bmos is correctly classified as a new form of weak B.
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