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Updated: Jul 10, 2026

Static Adhesion Assay for the Study of Integrin Activation in T Lymphocytes
Published on: June 13, 2014
Importance of molecular studies on major blood groups--intercellular adhesion molecule-4, a blood group antigen
Anne Toivanen1, Eveliina Ihanus, Minna Mattila
1Division of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biosciences, P.O. Box 56, Viikinkaari 5, 00014 University of Helsinki, Finland.
Abstract:
Several blood groups, including the LW-blood group were discovered in the first part of last century, but their biochemical characteristics and cellular functions have only more recently been elucidated. The LW-blood group, renamed ICAM-4 (CD242), is red cell specific and belongs to the intercellular adhesion molecule family. ICAM-4 binds to several integrin receptors on blood and endothelial cells and is thus able to form large cellular complexes containing red cells. Its physiological function(s) has remained incompletely understood, but recent work shows that macrophage integrins can bind red cells through this ligand. In this article we discuss molecular properties of major blood group antigens, describe ICAM-4 in more detail, and show that phagocytosis of senescent red cells is in part ICAM-4/beta(2)-integrin dependent.
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