Demonstration of A antigen and A allele of ABO histo-blood group in nail in a case with the absence of A antigen and anti-A antibody in blood

• Published in: Legal medicine (Tokyo, Japan) Japan), 2005-05, Vol.7 (3), p.194-197
• Main Authors: Michino, Junko, Hata, Yukiko, Matsui, Kazuhiro, Takizawa, Hisao, Kominato, Yoshihiko, Tabata, Sachiyo, Nishino, Kazuma, Yasumura, Satoshi, Kitajima, Isao
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: ABO Blood-Group System - genetics; ABO Blood-Group System - immunology; Alleles; Blood Grouping and Crossmatching; Child; Erythrocytes - immunology; Hot-stop PCR; Humans; Immunohistochemistry; Male; Nails - immunology; Nested PCR-RFLP; PCR-RFLP; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; Sequence Analysis, DNA
• ISSN: 1344-6223; 1873-4162
• DOI: 10.1016/j.legalmed.2004.11.005

We report a case with the inconsistency that the red blood cells lacked both A- and B-antigens while the serum showed reactivity with control B-red cells but not with A-red cells. A- and B-antigens were examined by serological blood typing and immunohistochemical staining, and DNA analyses were performed using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP), DNA sequencing, and hot-stop PCR. A-antigens were demonstrable in the nail of the subject by serological study and immunostaining. DNA analyses showed that the nail retained a small amount of A-allele comparing to that of O-allele. Those genomic analyses of ABO genes were useful for demonstration of A allele in the nail of an individual with the absence of A antigen on red blood cells and the corresponding antibody in serum.