11/13/2020

Blood Groups

History of Blood
• Blood was considered one of the four humours of the body:
• Black bile (stool)
• Yellow bile (urine)
• Phlegm (mucous)
• Blood
• Balance of the four humours was thought to be a sign of good health
more.
• Idea supported by Hippocrates more than 2,000 years ago.

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A way to cure pain & illness?

• Bloodletting
• Process of intentionally “letting” blood out of the
body.
• Sometimes as much as 80% of a person’s blood was
removed!
• Dangerous practice!
• Severe drop in blood pressure
• Cardiac arrest
• Anemia
• Infection
• Death!

• Practice became illegal in the 1800’s George Washington, 1799

• Barbers began to practice bloodletting when physicians were

no longer permitted to do so.

Blood transfusions
• 1665: First successful transfusion took place between dogs.
• 1667: Transfusions from animal (e.g. dogs, lambs) to human began
• Banned within 10 years due to adverse reactions
• 1818: First documented human to human transfusion
• Many transfusions failed due to adverse reactions
• Physicians searched for blood substitutes (e.g. milk, saline)

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Karl Landsteiner
• Discovered why many human to human
blood transfusions failed
• Classified blood into the groups we know
today as A, B, AB, and O
• He also discovered that blood types are
genetically inherited

Blood Groups
• Determined by the antigens present on the surface of the red blood cells
• There are 4 main blood groups:

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The Rh Factor
• Named after the Rhesus monkey.
• An additional antigen present on the red blood cells of some people.
• If the antigen is present, then the blood type is considered positive
and if absent, then the blood type is negative.

Antibodies
• Antibodies are proteins produced by white blood cells in response to a foreign antigen.
• Found in the plasma.
• A person should never produce antibodies that match their own antigens
• Example: A person with blood type B- will NOT produce B antibodies.
• To help you remember, make a little checklist for each “letter”.
• If it is present as an antigen is should not be an antibody and vice versa.
• You should be able to account for all letters as either an antigen or antibody.

Antigen Antibody • What is the blood type?

A • A+

B • What are the antibodies?

• B
Rh

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Blood Transfusions
• Blood transfusions will be successful if the donor’s antigens do not react with the
receiver’s antibodies (located in the plasma).
• **We will generally ignore the donor antibodies (negligible) when describing the outcome of
a blood transfusion.**
• Agglutination (clumping) occurs between incompatible blood
• Antigens and antibodies react

Incompatible blood

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King Henry VIII (1491-1547)

Hemolytic Disease of the Newborn (HDN)

• Also referred to as Erythroblastosis Fetalis

• Produces symptoms from mild to severe anemia, jaundiced and even

death.

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What Causes HDN?

• Problem only occurs if the mother is Rh- and she is carrying an Rh+
baby (Rh+ father)

• During the first pregnancy, the baby’s blood mixes with the mother’s
blood through the placenta and the mother starts to produce antibodies
AGAINST the Rh antigen in the fetus

• Typically, there is little damage to the fetus during the first pregnancy
because not enough antibodies were produced (this takes time!)

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• If the woman were to become pregnant again, the antibodies

produced by the mother will be passed to the fetus.

• If the fetus is Rh+, the antibodies will start destroying the red blood
cells of the fetus!!!

• This is life threatening.

Preventative Treatment
• Dr. Bruce Chown and Dr. Jack Bowman developed a preventative
treatment for HDN.

Dr. Bruce Chown Dr. Jack Bowman

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Rh Immune Globulin
• Rh immune globulin is made from human plasma of an Rh- individual
that has been exposed to Rh+ blood.

• The plasma contains antibodies that destroy fetal Rh+ blood cells that
are present in the Rh- mother.

• This prevents the mother’s immune system from producing its own
antibodies if administered within 72 hours of delivery

WinRho
• Named after “Winnipeg”

• Vaccine produced at Cangene Corporation in Winnipeg

• First form of Rh immune globulin that could be administered intravenously

(less painful than intramuscular)

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Blood Typing Practice

• http://nobelprize.org/educational_games/medicine/landsteiner/inde
x.html

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