Blood Grouping With Monoclonal Anti‐n Antibodies

Abstract

Summary. Four monoclonal antibodies (Nl, N3, N4 and N5) with specificity for the N blood group have been produced from fusions in which human erythrocytes were used as the immunizing stimulus. Nl and N3 differed from N4 and N5 with regard to their serological specificities and pH optima. Antibody N3 has been assessed for its suitability as a blood grouping reagent by testing 10,767 blood donors in parallel with Vicia graminea anti-N lectin or rabbit anti-N. There was complete correlation between the results obtained with the monoclonal and conventional reagents providing strong evidence that N3 is a reliable and potent blood grouping reagent.

A murine monoclonal anti‐N, BIRMA‐N, suitable for blood grouping in an automated system

“…No reactivity was observed with cells of phenotype M + N -Ss -U -, which confirms specificity for the N antigen. The reactivity pattern of BIRMA-N following treatment of the above cells with the enzymes trypsin, chymotrypsin and neuraminidase corresponds to patterns observed for other monoclonal anti-N antibodies (Fraser et al, 1982;Fletcher et al, 1986).…”

Use of lectins in immunohematology

“…[ 39 ] The determinant recognized by Vicia graminea lectin is often called as Nv g to distinguish it from normal N. In spite of this, it is widely used in blood banking practice. Some other sources of anti-N are seed extracts of Bauhinia purpurea ,[ 40 ] Bauhinia variegata ,[ 41 ] and the extract from the leaves of Vicia unijuga . [ 42 ] Allen and Brilliantine[ 43 ] isolated lectin with anti-M specificity from two species of the genus Iberis , viz., Iberis amara and Iberis umbletta .…”