Monoclonal antibodies directed against human Rh antigens in tests with the red cells of nonhuman primates.

Monoclonal antibodies against Rh related antigens on human red cells often crossreact with the red cells of the highest subhuman primate species. Depending on specificity of antibody, the species tested, and technique used, these reactions can be either species-specific or type specific. In tests with chimpanzee red cells, some of the latter type reactions have specificities related to the R antigen of the R-C-E-F blood group system of chimpanzee; specificities of some others seem to be unrelated to any known chimpanzee blood groups. Monoclonal anti-D reagents that give uniformly positive reactions with human D-positive (common and rare types) red cells, display wide individual differences in tests with chimpanzee blood. This indicates that there are minute structural variations of antibody molecules from one monoclonal anti-D antibodies apparently have no bearing on recognition of the D combining site on the human red cells, but come into play when in contact with chimpanzee rbcs. Some of the monoclonal antibodies directed against Rh and LW molecules are distinguished by unusually strong reactions with the red cells of the Old World monkeys (macaques and baboons), which is in contrast with negative or weak reactions of the same antibodies with the red cells of anthropoid apes and human bloods. One may recall, that polyclonal anti-Rh sera do not react with the blood of rhesus monkeys, the phenomenon that was the source of controversy surrounding the discovery of the rhesus factor of the human blood.