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Relationship between ABO blood group and levels of Gal alpha,3Galactose-reactive human immunoglobulin G
I M McMorrow1, C A Comrack, P P Nazarey
1Transplantation Biology Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston 02129, USA.
Background:
The terminal Gal alpha1,3Galactose (alphaGal) determinant is present on all porcine glycoproteins and glycolipids, but is not expressed by human cells. Consequently human sera contain anti-alphaGal natural antibodies. The human blood group B antigen [Gal alpha1,3(Fuc1,2)Galactose] is differentiated from the alphaGal epitope by the presence of a fucosyl group.
Methods:
To determine whether the expression of the B antigen has any effect on the level of alphaGal-reactive natural antibodies, equal numbers (n=12) of A, B, AB, and O serum samples were evaluated by ELISA and flow cytometry.
Results:
A significant reduction in IgG alphaGal reactivity was observed with serum samples from B antigen-expressing donors (B, AB) relative to non-B antigen-expressing donors (A, O).
Conclusions:
These results are consistent with the possibility that anti-alphaGal antibodies in non-B antigen-expressing individuals include a subset that is reactive with the structurally related B antigen and that this subset is absent in B and AB individuals.