![According to government data on e-Raktkosh, there are only 47.73 lakh registered blood donors in India. The country needs an average of 146 lakh blood units per year. (Getty Images) According to government data on e-Raktkosh, there are only 47.73 lakh registered blood donors in India. The country needs an average of 146 lakh blood units per year. (Getty Images)](https://images.news18.com/ibnlive/uploads/2021/07/1627283897_news18_logo-1200x800.jpg?impolicy=website&width=510&height=383)
According to government data on e-Raktkosh, there are only 47.73 lakh registered blood donors in India. The country needs an average of 146 lakh blood units per year. (Getty Images)
Dr. Kavitha Sudheendran, Family Medicine Doctor, Apollo Clinic, T Nagar, Chennai shares rare blood types that require blood donation.
Blood donation is an important part of global healthcare, with over 100 million blood donations made annually. Donating blood is vital for patients undergoing surgery, coping with trauma, managing chronic conditions, and those fighting cancer.
The term “blood group” refers to a specific blood group system containing red blood cell antigens under the control of successive alleles, or genes that are very closely linked through chromosomes. The term “blood group phenotype” refers to a specific pattern of antigenic response in a particular serum.
According to the International Society of Blood Transfusion, red blood cell antigens are classified into 38 blood group systems, of which there are more than 340 RBC antigens, of which ABO, Rh, Kell, Duffy, Kidd, Lutheran and MNS are clinically relevant. It is most important for blood transfusion. , pregnancy and transplantation.
There are four main blood types: A, B, AB, and O. Blood type is determined by genes inherited from parents.
rare blood type
Although the ABO and Rh groups are the most important for blood transfusions, 36 other blood groups are also known. Each blood type has a combination of sugars and proteins called antigens that are found on the outside of red blood cells. There are more than 600 antigens, so there can be many differences from person to person. You may have a rare subtype if your blood has rare antigens or lacks common antigens. Patients needing blood from donors with rare blood types pose a major challenge to even the most advanced health care delivery systems. It is most difficult to provide blood to patients with antibodies to highly prevalent antigens.
Below are some rare bloods that we have come across over a period of time in India.
- Bombay” (Oh) Phenotype
- Para Bombay Phenotype
- – D -/- D –
- at(a+b-)
- co(ab-)Many weak variants of A, B, and H antigens
- this-
- CdE/CdE(Rye)
- magnesium
- P-null and Emm are other rare forms.Other Rare Blood Types Found in IndiaThe rare -D-/-D- phenotype of the Rh blood group lacks Rh17 (all Rh antigens except D), resulting in frequent antigen-negative blood. Antibody specificity was confirmed as anti-Inb and erythrocytes were typed as In(a+b-). The Colton-null phenotype, also written as Co(ab-), is a very rare phenotype]and was found to be high in compatibility tests. Titer alloantibodies reactive with some high-frequency antigens were identified as anti-Co3.
Among the reported weak variants of the ABH antigen, weak A is less rare than weak B, with a ratio of 3:1. The weak H phenotype, giving rise to weak A or weak B (as in Para Bombay), is much rarer than the ABH antigen. It is the “Bombay” (Oh) phenotype and occurs in a ratio of 1:15. The ABH antigen-weak phenotype poses few problems in the selection of blood units for transfusion.
The CdE/CdE(ryry) phenotype of the Rh blood group has been found only in the Parsi population and has never posed any problems in transfusion management. The Ii-phenotype of Ii blood group has been found to be a newly recognized entity among certain adults. Red blood cells react weakly to anti-I, like red blood cells from newborns, and react weakly to anti-I, like red blood cells from normal adults.[11] The phenotype was classified as ii. This phenotype occurs at a frequency of 1:1,000 in the Mumbai population and rarely causes problems in transfusion practice.
Mg is a very rare antigen of the MNS blood group. Although anti-Mg is a naturally occurring antibody, there are few reports of cross-matching problems or problems with adequate blood supply due to its rarity.
Therefore, it is important for everyone to have their blood type tested, and if it is rare, it becomes even more important to donate.