Immunochemical Studies on Blood Groups

Abstract

Summary Substances with either A, B, O, BO, or with negligible blood group activity as determined by hemagglutination-inhibition were prepared from individual bovine stomach linings. However, the bovine materials were not as active by hemagglutination-inhibition tests as corresponding blood group preparations from other species. The bovine materials were analytically similar to hog, horse, and human blood group substances except for lower methylpentose contents. The methylpentose was identified as fucose by paper chromatography. Bovine blood group substances were species specific as well as blood group specific. These two specificities were, for the most part, linked together on the same molecule and contributed to the greater complexity of these substances as compared with the hog substances. Certain bovine substances which show no blood group B activity as measured by hemagglutination-inhibition may nevertheless be able to absorb hemagglutinins for B cells as established by supernatant tests. The cattle blood group preparations cross-reacted with anti-SXIV. The cross-reactivity was unrelated to their methylpentose contents, but was increased by hydrolysis at approximately pH 1.9 for two hours at 100 C. Unlike the results obtained with hog substances, partial hydrolysis reduced, but did not destroy, the ability of the bovine substances to react with homologous antisera. Bovine B cross-reacted with antiserum to horse B, but the bovine A preparations did not precipitate specifically with antisera to either hog, horse, or human blood group A substances. With some bovine substances, the hemagglutination-inhibition technic may not be the most sensitive method for detecting blood group activity. With such materials blood group activity may be detected either by a rise in hemagglutinating titer on immunization of humans or by absorption of hemagglutinins.