We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies. Cookie Policy.

Features Partner Sites Information LinkXpress
Sign In
Advertise with Us
Octopus Group

Download Mobile App




Events

ATTENTION: Due to the COVID-19 PANDEMIC, many events are being rescheduled for a later date, converted into virtual venues, or altogether cancelled. Please check with the event organizer or website prior to planning for any forthcoming event.

Ultra-Rare Set of Blood Groups Identified

By LabMedica International staff writers
Posted on 11 Oct 2022
Print article
Image: The mechanosensory ion channel Piezo1 is the carrier molecule for Er red cell antigens, establishing a new blood group system (Photo courtesy of University of Bristol)
Image: The mechanosensory ion channel Piezo1 is the carrier molecule for Er red cell antigens, establishing a new blood group system (Photo courtesy of University of Bristol)

The two primary blood group systems, the ABO and Rh- systems are known to the majority of individuals. There are other additional blood group systems, each with a unique range of reaction risk. Additionally, different blood group antigens exist within each blood group system.

Despite the identification of the high incidence red cell antigen Era nearly 40 years ago, the molecular background of this antigen, together with the other two members of the Er blood group collection, has yet to be elucidated. The mechanosensory ion channel Piezo1 is the carrier molecule for the Er red cell antigens, establishing a new blood group system.

A team of Transfusion Medicine Specialists led by those at the NHS Blood and Transplant, (Bristol, UK) performed Whole exome and Sanger sequencing of individuals with serologically defined Er alloantibodies and identified several missense mutations within the PIEZO1 gene, encoding amino acid substitutions within the extracellular domain of the Piezo1 mechanosensor ion channel. Confirmation of Piezo1 as the carrier molecule for the Er blood group antigens was demonstrated using immunoprecipitation, CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene knockout and expression studies in an erythroblast cell line.

The team described the molecular bases of five Er blood group antigens. They recognized Era, Erb and Er3 antigens; and two novel high incidence Er antigens, described as Er4 and Er5, establishing a new blood group system. The clinical significance of antibodies against Er4 and Er5 is poorly understood due to a lack of data, but two cases of severe hemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn have been reported in women with these antibodies. Er was recognized as a blood group collection by the International Society of Blood Transfusion in 1990 and promoted to a blood group in 2022. Missense mutations in PIEZO1, encoding the Piezo1 mechanosensor protein, defines the Er red blood cell antigens.

Nicole M Thornton, PhD, Head of Red Cell Reference at NHSBT’s International Blood Group Reference Laboratory, said, “Most people will have what we consider to be the ‘regular’ form of Er but a small number of rare individuals have altered forms, including the new ones we identified in this study. Discovering the genetic basis of blood groups allows us to develop new tests to identify those with uncommon blood groups, with the aim of providing the best possible care for even the rarest of patients. The more we know about such rare blood group variations, along with the ability to be able to test for and identify them, the better care we are able to offer to such patients in the future.”

The authors concluded that demonstration of Piezo1, present at just a few hundred copies on the surface of the red blood cell, as the site of a new blood group system highlights the potential antigenicity of even low abundance membrane proteins and contributes to our understanding of the in vivo characteristics of this important and widely studied protein in transfusion biology and beyond. The study was published on September 19, 2022 in the journal Blood.

Related Links:
NHS Blood and Transplant

New
Gold Supplier
Group A Streptococcus Antigen Test
OSOM Strep A Test
New
BCID Panels
ePlex Blood Culture Identification Panels
New
Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency Test
A1AT Genotyping Test
New
Squamous Cell Carcinoma Assay
CanAg SCC EIA

Print article

Channels

Clinical Chem.

view channel
Image: Brief schematic diagram of the detection principle and method (Photo courtesy of CAS)

Rapid, Non-Invasive Method Diagnoses Type 2 Diabetes by Sniffing Urinary Acetone

Over 90% of diabetes cases are attributed to Type 2 diabetes (T2D), a prevalent metabolic condition that is expected to impact 380 million individuals globally by 2025. Despite being highly accurate, the... Read more

Molecular Diagnostics

view channel
Image: Researchers have identified the origin of subset of autoantibodies that worsen lupus (Photo courtesy of Pexels)

Lupus Biomarker Testing Could Help Identify Patients That Need Early and Aggressive Treatment

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease that occurs when the body's antibodies, which usually protect against infections, attack healthy cells and proteins. These autoantibodies can... Read more

Immunology

view channel
Image: A genetic test could guide the use of cancer chemotherapy (Photo courtesy of Pexels)

Genetic Test Predicts Whether Bowel Cancer Patients Can Benefit From Chemotherapy

Late-stage bowel cancer patients usually undergo a series of chemotherapies and targeted medicines for cancer treatment. However, the responses to the last-line chemotherapy treatment trifluridine/tipiracil... Read more

Microbiology

view channel
Image: Use of DBS samples can break barriers in hepatitis C diagnosis and treatment for populations at risk (Photo courtesy of Pexels)

DBS-Based Assay Effective in Hepatitis C Diagnosis and Treatment for At Risk Populations

In a bid to eliminate viral hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030, the World Health Organization (WHO) has put forth a proposed strategy. To this end, researchers at the Germans Trias i Pujol Research... Read more

Pathology

view channel
Image: New research has opened a path for fast and accurate cancer diagnosis (Photo courtesy of Imagene)

AI-Based Image Analysis Software Profiles Cancer Biomarkers in Real Time

Lung cancer is the most widespread type of cancer worldwide, resulting in approximately 1.76 million fatalities annually. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounts for 85% of all lung cancer diagnoses... Read more

Technology

view channel
Image: Live view of non-fluorescent specimens using the glowscope frame (Photo courtesy of Winona State University)

Device Converts Smartphone into Fluorescence Microscope for Just USD 50

Fluorescence microscopes are utilized to examine specimens labeled with fluorescent stains or expressing fluorescent proteins, like those tagged with green fluorescent protein. However, since these microscopes... Read more

Industry

view channel
Image: The global antimicrobial resistance diagnostics market size is expected to reach USD 5.7 billion by 2028 (Photo courtesy of Pexels)

Global Antimicrobial Resistance Diagnostics Market Driven by Increasing Hospital-Acquired Infections

Antimicrobial drugs are intended to counteract the harmful effects of microbes and promote a healthy life. However, their excessive use can result in the development of resistance, commonly referred to... Read more
Copyright © 2000-2023 Globetech Media. All rights reserved.