A case of atypical polyagglutinability due to Tk-transformation

A case of acquired transient polyagglutinability in a group O, Rh(D) positive female patient, Wa, is described. An unusual finding in the preliminary serological investigation was the non-reaction of the cells with peanut (Arachis hypogaea) extract. The patient's red cells were strongly agglutinated by normal human and rabbit sera from which anti-T had been removed. Electrophoretic mobility studies and tests with polybrene indicated that their sialic acid content was normal. The use of a specific antiserum raised in a rabbit to Wa cells and cross-absorption tests showed that the patient's erythrocytes shared similar antigenic determinants to red cells treated with supernatants from pure cultures of Bacteroides fragilis. The in vitro-modified red cells reacted strongly with BS II lectin prepared from Bandeiraea simplicifolia seeds thus providing confirmatory evidence for Tk transformation on Wa cells. It is concluded that the Tk receptor is probably a more frequent feature of acquired transient polyagglutinability than has hitherto been recognized.