Evidence that several high-frequency human blood group antigens reside on phosphatidylinositol-linked erythrocyte membrane proteins.

Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) is an acquired disorder associated with absence of expression of phosphatidylinositol (PI)-linked membrane proteins from circulating hematopoietic cells of multiple lineages. Recent work demonstrated that decay accelerating factor, one such PI-linked protein, bears the Cromer-related blood group antigens. This study demonstrated that other high incidence antigens, including Cartwright (Yta/Ytb), Holley-Gregory (Hy/Gya), John Milton Hagen (JMH), and Dombrock (Doa/Dob), are absent from the complement-sensitive (PNH III) erythrocytes of patients with PNH. The relatively normal, complement-insensitive erythrocytes from the same patients express these antigens normally. Therefore, these antigens most likely reside on PI-linked proteins absent from PNH III, but not PNH I, erythrocytes.