Introduction

Question 1

Who discovered the A, B, O blood groups?

Answer 1

Karl Landsteiner

Question 2

What does the extracellular surface of the RBC membrane consist of?

Answer 2

Proteins

Glycoproteins

Glycolipids

Question 3

Blood group antigens are important in what circumstances
(5)

Answer 3

Immune destruction of rbcs in allogeneic transfusions

Foeto-maternal incompatability

Autoimmune Haemolytic Anaemia

Organ transplantation

Genetic, forensic and anthropologic investigations

Question 4

How many blood products are there

Answer 4

53 different products

Question 5

What happened in the first human transfusion

Answer 5

The patient died

Question 6

What were the A, B, O blood groups originally called?

Answer 6

A, B and C

Question 7

What big advancements were made in transfusion after the discovery of ABO blood grouping

Answer 7

Cross matching began in 1907

Question 8

Why was there advancements in transfusion in 1914

Answer 8

WWI

Anti-coagulants began to be used

Blood needed to travel large distances without clotting

Sodium citrate was used

Question 9

What discovery was made in 1940?

Answer 9

The Rh blood group system was discovered (Reses blood group)

Question 10

What began to happen in the 1960s
(3)

Answer 10

Labs began making other blood products such as plasma

Labs began to pool blood together

Diseases such as Hep A and HIV were found in these and infected patients -> huge controversy

Question 11

How many blood group systems are there

Answer 11

39

Question 12

How many of the 39 blood groups are clinically significant

Answer 12

7/8 can cause transfusion reactions

Question 13

What is an allogeneic transfusion?

Answer 13

Foreign to self transfusion

Question 14

What happens in autoimmune haemolytic anaemia?

Answer 14

Rbc lysis

Question 15

How are blood groups used in anthropologic investigations

Answer 15

Study of populations

No B in Aboriginals

A in Vikings

B in Spanish

Question 16

Describe the genetics of the ABO group

Answer 16

Controlled by a single locus on each chromosome e.g. an A on one and a B on the other = AB blood group

Question 17

How does the blood group systems differ genetically

Answer 17

ABO -> products of alleles at a single locus

Rh or MNSs are closely linked -> very close to each other

Question 18

Explain why transfusions will never be perfect

Answer 18

We find a new blood group every year

Its impossible to completely match a donor to a recipient

Up to 400 different antigens

Question 19

What molecules are responsible for the negative charge on rbcs

Answer 19

GPA and GPB

Question 20

What are the two ways a person can produce antibodies against rbcs antigens

Answer 20

Transfusion

Pregnancy

Question 21

What happens to rbcs which have been opsonised -> coated in antibodies i.e. after an imperfect transfusion

Answer 21

They will be removed by the spleen or they will lyse in circulation (complement)

Question 22

Where are naturally occurring antibodies against rbc antigens found and explain how they occur
(3)

Answer 22

Found in the plasma of blood

You will have antibodies against the ABO type you don’t have e.g. a type A will have anti-B antibodies

These antibodies are induced by commensals with very similar antigens in the gut

Question 23

What does the IBTS do

Answer 23

Collects blood and makes blood products

Screens blood for different virus and bacterial contamination

Quality assurance of produce

Issues products to hospitals

Recruits, selects and retains donors

Blood grouping

Question 24

What does a hospital blood bank do?
(4)

Answer 24

Screen patients for antibodies

Crossmatches patient serum and transfusion rbcs

Liaison with clinical and nursing staff

Acceptance of specimens from patients and blood grouping