Molecular basis of NB1 (HNA-2a, CD177) deficiency

Alloimmunization to the neutrophil antigen NB1 (HNA-2a, CD177) can result in immune neutropenia and transfusion-related acute lung injury. Recently, we were able to elucidate the primary structure of NB1. To shed light also on the molecular basis of the NB1-negative phenotype, we studied the neutrophils of 2 women with NB1-specific alloantibodies for intracellular and extracellular NB1 expression, NB1-specific mRNA production, and the presence of the NB1 gene. No antibody binding to neutrophils was observed by immunofluorescence and immunoblot using a variety of human and monoclonal NB1-specific antibodies. By reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction with NB1-specific primers we could not detect NB1 cDNAs without accessory sequences, which were found to be introns. The NB1 gene was present in the genome of both patients. Our data indicate that the NB1-negative phenotype is the result of different off-frame insertions on RNA level, resulting in NB1 deficiency on neutrophils.