50 years ago we discovered people whose blood did not fit into conventional types. We have just discovered why
We have been classifying blood types for more than a century as a function of two characteristics, the antigens of these and the RH factor. The four types of blood depending on the antigens (0, A, B, AB) and the two depending on the RH (positive or negative) allow us to classify people’s blood into one of eight categories. But as always, there are exceptions and one had intrigued scientists since the 1970s. Until now. A new blood group. A study led by researchers from the University of Bristol a new blood group has describedANWJ (positive or negative). According to the study, the key to this group is in the evil gear, a gene that encodes a homonymous protein that we can find on the surface of the red blood cells. A more complex system than it seems. The antigens surrounding the cell wall of the red blood cells are a pillar of blood transfusions. The presence of antibodies linked to this type of molecules makes some transfusions associated with complications. For example, a person from Group A receives a transfusion of a person from group B, antibodies associated with antigens to attack newly arrived cells. There are two key systems, AOB and RH Factorwhich are key since they are the ones that present the most diversity, and therefore greater is the possibility that a blood transplant can generate incompatibilities. However to date we have found more than a quarantine Of variants that, although they affect a small part of the population, must be considered. 50 years of mystery. The ANWJ antigen was discovered in 1972 but it has not been until now that we have discovered the genetic background behind the existence of Anwj-negative people, that is, people whose cells do not contain this antigen on its surface. This absence affects less than 0.1% of humanity and is generally due to hematological and oncoligic disorders. The evil gear. The team responsible for the discovery investigated the few known cases of ANWJ-negative people who were not as a result of any disorder. They found that this antigen was in the bad protein. They found that the hostj-negative people lacked full copies of the protein badly. “The work was difficult because genetic cases are very scarce. We would not have achieved this without the sequencing of exams, since the gene we identify was not an obvious candidate and it is little that we know of the bad protein in the red blood cells,” explained in a press release Louise Tilley, co -author of the study. The details of the study were published In an article In the magazine Blood. Less risks in transfusions. Knowing the different blood groups, including those that only include a very small portion of the planet’s inhabitants is important. The more we know about these groups, the greater our ability to Avoid complications associated with blood transfusions. “Now it is possible Nicole Thornton addedalso member of the work responsible for the work. In Xataka | The unequal distribution of blood groups in the world, illustrated in this detailed map Image | Swiftsciencewriting
