Korean J Blood Transfus.  2011 Dec;22(3):277-283.

Loss of Red Cell A Antigen in a Patient with Acute Myeloid Leukemia: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

• Cho JH
• Hur M
• Moon HW
• Yun YM
• Lee MH
• Han SH

Abstract

Red cell antigens, A, B, and H can be weakened or lost especially in patients with hematologic malignancies. We report a 42-year-old female patient with acute myeloid leukemia, who showed loss of A antigen on her red cells. She showed the persistence of leukemia in spite of three cycles of induction chemotherapy. Her ABO blood group showed a discrepancy: the cell type was O and the serum type was A. Adsorption/elution test could not identify the presence of A antigen on her red cells, and the test for A and B transferases was negative. ABO genotyping using PCR/restriction fragment length polymorphism and sequencing of exons 6 and 7 of the ABO gene demonstrated 467 C>T substitution in exon 7 and confirmed the genotype of A102/O01. She was transfused with leukapheresis products collected from donors with blood group A, but expired of severe sepsis. This is the first Korean case, in which red cell A antigen loss was genetically proven using sequencing, and underscores the necessity of ABO genotyping to solve the ABO discrepancy and to transfuse effectively.

Keyword

ABO; Discrepancy; Blood group antigen; Loss; Acute leukemia

MeSH Terms

Adult
Exons
Female
Genotype
Hematologic Neoplasms
Humans
Induction Chemotherapy
Leukapheresis
Leukemia
Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute
Sepsis
Tissue Donors
Transferases
Transferases