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when and how the discovery will serve

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when and how the discovery will serve

A, B, 0, AB. Then we add the positivity or not to Rh. When we refer to a blood group, the thought immediately runs to this nomenclature. Then, suddenly, science informs us that there are others. There is even talk of a new group, called Erwhich the magazine Blood talks about announcing the discovery of a group of British researchers from the National Health Service Blood and Transplant (Nhsbt).

But be careful: this new group is very important in terms of scientific knowledge, because it will allow us to better understand the origin of some rare blood diseases and treat them. But it is not new (in general terms it was identified in 1982) and above all the value of its identification for patients will have to be evaluated in the future.

Because the blood groups are different

Knowing the blood group is important because it allows you to reduce the risks that are created immunological problems during, for example, a transfusion. In fact, on the surface of red blood cells there are specific antigens (ie real “signalers” that characterize them) while active antibodies circulate in the blood against antigens that are normally absent on everyone’s red blood cells. The result is that thanks to these mechanisms we do not produce antibodies against our red blood cells, which would otherwise be destroyed.

The identification of Er it took place precisely by analyzing the blood of patients in which there had been haemolysis, that is, particularly serious processes of destruction of red blood cells. Studying the characteristics of the sick on the genetic front, it was seen that they exist five variations in the Er antigens: the known variants Era, Erb, Er3 and two new Er4 and Er5. Then the DNA of the patients was studied, identifying the gene that encodes the antigens on the cell membrane: it is called PIEZO1.

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Its presence is associated with some known diseases. In particular, it is known that gene mutations induce pathologies affecting red blood cells and more, but that especially in the presence of this situation there could be a risk of maternal-fetal incompatibility, or situations in which the maternal blood in practice “attacks” the red blood cells of the future baby because it does not recognize them as “own” for the mother’s body.

The phenomenon can occur if the mother is Rh negative and is fertilized by a Rh + man, with the fetus being Rh +. This incompatibility can lead to serious problems during pregnancy and must be recognized in time. Thanks to the studies on Er it will be possible to have more opportunities to anticipate possible cross reactions and to study even better preventive strategies that allow to protect the fetus from the potential and unwanted immune “attack” of the mother.

Hopes for prevention

The main field of application of the discovery, in short, seems to be the medicine of transfusions. With the knowledge of Er in its various variants you will also be more adept at preventing these very rare cases of incompatibility to deal with. In this way, very rare situations can in fact be avoided that see fetal tissues as foreign to the mother, with antibodies that crossing the placenta can attack the red blood cells of the unborn child, destroying them.

Blood’s study, however, says more: attention must also be paid to this factor, when there are pictures that cannot be explained by the common characteristics of the blood. However, these are antibodies that are seen only sporadically and on which further studies will be necessary: ​​the important thing is to know that thanks to this research, studies on maternal-fetal incompatibility they take another important step forward.

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