[Frequency of Lewis blood groups and ABH and Lewis substance secretion in Schleswig-Holstein]

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.