Adenocarcinomas of the sigmoid colon and rectum were studied for the presence of blood group substances of the A, B, H system using the method of specific erythrocytic adherence. Of 17 adenocarcinomas studied, eight were found to have reactivity for blood group substances. All eight tumours showing reactivity for blood group substances were from patients of the blood group type A, whereas no blood group substances reactivity could be found in any of the adenocarcinomas from patients of the B blood group type. The epithelial cells of the entire colon contain blood group substances in the fetal period; however, shortly after parturition the epithelial cells of the distal colon and rectum rapidly lose the substances. The reappearance of the substances in adenocarcinomas of the distal colon suggests that these neoplastic cells are expressing certain characteristics of fetal colonic epithelial cells.

This study was undertaken to ascertain the incidence, the associated clinical diseases, and the serologic characteristics and significance of positive direct antiglobulin tests (DAT) in a hospital population. Forty-one (0.9%) of 4,664 medical-surgical patients had positive DAT's on admission. Eight of these 41 people also had antibodies in their sera. Twelve patients were taking alpha-methyldopa and one cephalothin, seven had malignant tumors, nine had immunologic disease, and 12 had miscellaneous conditions. Elution of antibodies from the erythrocytes of 36 patients was attempted: 17 eluates failed to react with panel cells; anti-K antibody was found in the eluates from two patients who had recently received transfusions; five eluates showed no blood-group specificity; and 12 agglutinated all panel cells. Eleven of the last 12 eluates, after absorption with Rh-negative cells, were tested with Rh cells of various phenotypes, and weaker or negative results with Rhnull cells were obtained with seven absorbed eluates. Three of the 41 patients had mild to overt hemolysis.

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