Studies on the Secretion of Blood Group Substances:II. Observions on the Red Cell Phenotype Le(a‐b‐x‐)1

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Salivas from 35 type Le(a‐b‐x‐) subjects were tested for Lea,Leb, Lex, A, B and H substances by both manual and automated quantitative hemagglutination inhibition methods. For comparison, similar data were gathered from 226 Lewis positive adults. Among the 13 Ma‐bx‐) nonsccretors, 7 had small quantities of salivary Leaactivity and 11 had low concentrations of salivary Lexby manual methods. None showed any salivary Lebactivity. By the automated method, low concentrations of Leaactivity were demonstrable in 12. Among the 22 Ma‐b‐x‐) ‐tors, 6 had minute quantities of salivary Lewis activity, mainly Leb. The Lebactivity could not represent cross reactivity with H substance because most of those subjects with the highest H activities had no Lebactivity.Our quantitative studies show, when salivary Lewis activity is present in individuals whose red cells era type Ma‐bx‐), that the activity is much lower in comparison with individuals whose red cells are Lewis positive. Thus, based on quantitative salivary studies, it is possible to distinguish between Lewis positive (Len and Lewis negative (le/le) individuals.These observations suggest that the le gene is not a completely inert allele but that it governs the biosynthesis of serologically active substances. The Ze gene can be regarded as an inefficient Le which produces exactly the same products in a qualitative way as the Le gene but quantitatively far less. Another possibility is, as recently suggested, that the le gene actually governs the biosynthesis of distinct products Lecand Ledand that salivary Leaand Lebactivities among Lewis negative subjects represent cross reactivity with these products.
Keywords

This publication has 20 references indexed in Scilit: