Cytotoxicity of a non-HLA serum towards lymphocytes from blood group B, Lewis negative and ABH secretor individuals.

Seven serum samples from a multiparous Hispanic woman (Cano) were found to be lymphocytotoxic against 2% of the cell donors in a large multiethnic cell panel. The reactivity of these sera segregated independently of the HLA region. The lymphocytotoxicity of Cano sera appeared associated with the simultaneous presence of red cell antigen B, Le (a-b-), and ABH secretor status. It could be adsorbed out by red cells from Cano-reactors, but not by those from Cano-non-reactors. Cano sera are clearly detecting a non-HLA antigen on lymphocytes. The exact relationship between this new immunogenetic system (Cano) and the ABO, Lewis and Secretor systems remains to be elucidated.