ABO Blood & Rh Grouping system

Objectives:

- To determine the blood group according to the ABO system.

- To test for the availability of the Rh factor (D-antigen).

-The term “blood group”, refers to the entire blood group system comprising red blood
cell (RBC) antigens.

-“Blood type”, refers to a specific pattern of reaction to testing antisera within a given
system.
International Society of Blood Transfusion has recently recognized 33 blood group systems.
Apart from ABO and Rhesus system, many other types of antigens have been noticed on the
red cell membranes.
Red blood cell antigens determine your blood group:
The antigens expressed on the red blood cell determine an individual's blood group.
The main two blood groups are called ABO (with blood types A, B, AB, and O) and Rh
(with Rh D-positive or Rh D-negative blood types). Which will be used in this lab.
-The differences in human blood types, are due to the presence or absence of certain
molecules called antigens which are present on the surface of the RBCs.

-The antigens are located on the surface of the red blood cells.

- The antibodies, are in the blood plasma to attack foreign antigens, resulting in clumping
(agglutination).

-Antigens are also found in a wide variety of tissues and biological fluids such as saliva, milk ,
seminal fluid, urine , and gastric juice.
:
epitope

antigen

antibody
 ABO Blood Type system

• The ABO blood type system is the major blood type classification system.

• The four blood types in the ABO system (A, B, AB, and O) refer to different versions of
oligosaccharides (the antigens mentioned before), which are present on the surface of
RBCs.
ABO Blood Type System
 Importance of The ABO System

• Blood group antigens must be determined to

secure a safe practice of blood transfusion.

• They are also useful in determining familial

relationships in forensic medicine.
Genetics of Blood Types

Codominance
is a condition in which the alleles of a gene
pair in a heterozygote are fully expressed
thereby resulting in offspring with
a phenotype that is
neither dominant nor recessive
 Rhesus Blood Group

• Is the second most significant blood group system in human transfusion.

• The D antigen (RhD), is the most important.

• Rh(D) status of an individual, is normally described with a positive or negative suffix after
the ABO type. If it is present or absence on RBCs’ surface respectively.

• So, for example, some people in group A will have it, and will therefore be classed as A+
(or A positive), while the ones that don't, are A- (or A negative). And so it goes for groups
B, AB and O.
 Rh Blood Group Transfusion
• A person with Rh+ blood can receive blood from a person with Rh- blood without any
problems

• A person with Rh- blood can develop Rh antibodies in the blood plasma if he or she
receives blood from a person with Rh+ blood, whose Rh antigens can trigger the
production of Rh antibodies

Note: that the blood group ABO, should be considered along with Rh group.
 Hemolytic Disease of The Newborn (HDN)
• Also called, Erythroblastosis Fetalis
• Mother is Blood type Rh-, Father and fetus are Rh+
• First pregnancy = sensitization at delivery due to hemorrhage

• Second pregnancy = Mother produce anti-Rh IgG antibodies that cross placenta
to attack fetal RBCs leading to hemolysis
 Principle Of Test

Type B Anti B Agglutination Hemolysis

blood gp antibodies
Seen as the
picture
RESULTS
● Type AB blood is unique
because it has both A
and B proteins on the
surface of the red blood
cells, but no plasma
antibodies. Type O blood
is equally unique
because it has no
antigens on the surface
of the red blood cells, but
has both A and B
antibodies in the blood
plasma
• Type A blood with A antigens will coagulate (agglutinate)
when they come in contact with anti-A serum (antibodies), but
produce anti-B antibodies in a living person, so will not
coagulate with anti-B serum.
• Type B blood with B antigens will coagulate (agglutinate)
when they come in contact with anti-B serum (antibodies), but
produce anti-A antibodies in a living person, so will not
coagulate with anti-A serum.
• Type AB blood has both A and B antigens, and will coagulate
(agglutinate) when they come in contact with either anti-A or
anti-B serum (antibodies). These individuals do not produce
anti-A or anti-B antibodies.
• Type O blood produces both anti-A and anti-B antibodies, so
it will not coagulate with Anti-A or Anti-B Serum.
AGGLUTINATION
● The blood will agglutinate (clump) if the antigens in the patient's
blood match the antibodies in the test tube. A antibodies attach to A
antigens - they match like a lock and key - and thus form a clump of
red blood cells. In the same way B antibodies attach to B antigens
and Rh antibodies to Rh antigens. In the test tubes where
agglutination has occured, the patient's red blood cells have been
linked together, like bunches of grapes, instead of floating around
one by one .
AGGLUTINATION
● For example, when type A blood is mixed with type B blood,
the antigens on the type A red blood cells react with the
plasma proteins of type B blood. This antibody-antigen
reaction causes severe clumping (agglutination) of the red
blood cells. Agglutination tends to block blood vessels,
resulting in brain and kidney damage and, ultimately, death
RH BLOOD GROUP ANTIGENS
● Another RBC surface antigen group, the Rh group, can also
cause great harm. Researchers applied the Rh designation
after initially discovering the antigen group in rhesus macaque
primates.
RHESUS (RH)
● The positive or negative sign next to the blood groups is known as
the Rhesus (Rh) factor. The Rh factor is an inherited protein that can
be found on the surface of the red blood cell.

● The Rh factor is a protein that can be found on the surface of red

blood cells. If your blood cells have this protein, you are Rh
positive. If your blood cells do not have this protein, you are Rh
negative. The "positive" or "negative" part of your blood type, such
as O positive or A negative, refers to your Rh status.
● Rh antigens are named after the rhesus macaque, a primate
with many blood similarities to human. There are many Rh
antigens in humans, but the D type of Rh antigen is the most
clinically significant. Because of this, in blood typing,
sometimes D and Rh are used interchangeably. The Rh factor
is grouped with ABO blood group to identify a blood type
(example A+, B-, O-).
● Type Rh+ (positive) blood: Rh antigens on cell
● Type Rh- (negative) blood: no Rh antigens on cell
● Unlike ABO blood type, no anti-Rh antibodies are present in
Rh- individuals unless they have been exposed to Rh
antigens. If Rh+ blood is introduced into an Rh- individual, anti-
Rh antibodies will be produced against the Rh(+) blood.