Blood, 1960, Vol. 15, No. 6, pp. 884-900.
© 1960 American Society of Hematology, Inc.
Identification of Blood Group Antigens and Minor Cell
Populations by the Fluorescent Antibody Method
FLOSSIE COHEN 1,
WOLF W. ZUELZER 1, and
MARGARET M. EVANS 1
1 Child Research Center of Michigan, The Children's Hospital of Michigan, and
the Department of Pediatrics, Wayne State University College of Medicine, Detroit, Mich.
It is possible to produce fluorescence of erythrocytes as the result of specific
antigen-antibody reactions of various blood group antigens; thus far, the
factors A and B, a variety of Rh antigens and Kidd, have been successfully
demonstrated with this method. It is important to realize that in the presence
of adequate negative controls, low intensity fluorescence like that obtained with
Rh antigens is nevertheless specific in systems involving erythrocytes.
The method discriminates between A1 and A2 cells. More antibody must be
attached to the red cell for fluorescence than for agglutination. The relative
paucity of antigenic sites of Rh substance as compared to A and B antigens is
reflected by the difference in intensity of fluorescence.
The fluorescent antibody technic has been used successfully for the demonstration, and, to some extent, quantitation of minor cell populations in in vitro
mixtures and in vivo. Injected Rh-positive erythrocytes were demonstrated in
the blood of an Rh-negative volunteer during a period of 20 days. Fetal Rh-positive erythrocytes were demonstrated in several Rh-negative women, both
with and without antibody, in the last trimester of gestation.
Submitted on December 10, 1959
Accepted on February 1, 1960
