An update on the RHAG blood group system.

Abstract

This update on the RHAG blood group system (ISBT 030) (Chou ST, Westhoff CM. The Rh and RhAG blood group systems. Immunohematology 2010;26:178-86) reports the addition of three new low-prevalence antigens carried on the Rh-associated glycoprotein (RhAG). Kg (previously 700045; now RHAG5) has been demonstrated to be antithetical to the previously described high-prevalence DSLK (RHAG3). Two further low-prevalence antigens (RHAG6 and RHAG7) are described, both resulting from rare missense RHAG mutations encoding amino acid changes predicted to be externally located. All three new low-prevalence antigens have been implicated in hemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn. The RHAG system now comprises six antigens, two of high prevalence and four of low prevalence, including one antithetical pair. RHAG4 has been made obsolete.