Expression of blood group antigens on red cell microvesicles.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether epitopes of the A, B, D, Fya, M, N, S, s, and K blood group antigens are present on microvesicle membranes shed by red cells during storage. Vesicles were isolated from outdated units of blood having and lacking the specified antigens. Diluted antisera were absorbed with fixed quantities of vesicles from red cells with the test antigen and red cells lacking that antigen (controls). The adsorbed and unadsorbed antisera were titrated and scored by using panel cells from persons known to be heterozygous for all the non-AB antigens. The mean titration scores following adsorption with the vesicles from A, B, D, M+N-, M-N+, S+s-, S-s+, and Fy(a+b-) units were appreciably lower than the control scores (0, 0, 3, 2, 2, 0, 4, and 4 vs. 19, 23, 34, 13, 12, 16, 18, and 29, respectively), which indicated the presence of these epitopes on the membrane of shed vesicles. The results following adsorption with K:1,2 vesicles were equivocal.