Anti‐Lea as an Autoantibody in the Serum of a Le (a – b+) Individual

Abstract
The first example of anti‐Lea, as an autoantibody, in the serum of a phenotypically Le (a–b+) individual is described. The patient is a 55 year old male with squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus. His saliva contains Lea, Leb and H substances, and inhibits the hemagglutinating activity of his serum anti‐Lea. The Leb antigen content of his red blood cells is approximately half that of control Le (a–b+) red blood cells. The patient's disease process may be responsible for the development of this unexpected autoantibody.