Red cell polymorphisms in nonhuman primates: a review.

Development as well as current status of the knowledge of nonhuman primate blood groups are discussed together with some practical implications of the red cell antigen polymorphisms in anthropoid apes, Old and New World monkeys and prosimians. Recent data on molecular biology and genetics throw light on the relationships among simian and human red cell antigens and their evolutionary pathways.

The M-N--V-A-B-D blood group system of chimpanzee and other apes: serology and genetics.

Poly- and monoclonal anti-M and anti-N reagents detect on the red cells of anthropoid apes the M and/or N antigens which are similar to, but not identical with human M and N. A series of V-A-B-D specificities, closely related to the M-N system, are recognized on ape red blood cells by chimpanzee immune sera. To account for the distributions of the M-N--V-A-B-D types in man and in various apes, a genetic model is proposed that assumes the existence of two independent pairs of alleles: M/m, and N/n. In the processes of speciation, some of the alleles were lost or replaced by multiple mutations, resulting in chimpanzee in a series of codominant alleles responsible for as many as 16 M-N--V-A-B-D phenotypes.

Complexity of the Rh antigen demonstrated by comparative tests using antisera of human and primate origins.

Comparative analysis of two antisera, one produced in chimpanzee and another of human origin, demonstrates the existence of the whole spectrum of antibodies directed against at least four, and possibly five, antigenic determinants connected with the Rh reactivity. Some of the determinants are shared by chimpanzee and human red cells, while others are restricted to one species only. Based on this study, it is suggested that both the human Rh(D)-positive type and its chimpanzee counterpart, the Rc-positive type, could be of common origin, while the negative types are the results of later, parallel events during the evolution.

Chimpanzees and AIDS research.

Pressure is mounting to relax the regulations on importation of chimpanzees for research. Such a policy is unnecessary and would deepen the plight of an already endangered species.

Complexity of the Rh antigen demonstrated by comparative tests using antisera of human and primate origins.

Comparative analysis of two antisera, one produced in chimpanzee and another of human origin, demonstrates the existence of a spectrum of antibodies directed against at least four antigenic determinants connected with Rh reactivity. Some of the determinants are shared by chimpanzee and human red cells, while others are restricted to one species only. Based on this study, it is suggested that both the human Rh(D)-positive type and its chimpanzee counterpart, the Rc-positive type, could be of common origin, while the negative types are the results of later, parallel events during evolution.

Hepatitis B vaccine safety monitoring in the chimpanzee: interpretation of results.

In September, 1983, a group of French and American experts met at the French National Health Laboratory to discuss their experience in monitoring for the safety of a hepatitis B vaccine in 42 chimpanzees. The observations made, conclusions reached, and recommendations for future studies are presented.

The BP graded blood group system of the baboon: its relationship with macaque red cell antigens.

The first blood group system to be defined in baboons by means of isoimmune agglutinating reagents is composed of five graded types: B4, B3, B2, B1 and b, inherited, as postulated, by five allelic genes with decreasing dominance order. There are significant differences in distribution of the BP blood groups between hamadryas baboons on the one hand, and cynocephalus and anubis on the other, which may serve as auxiliary taxonomic criteria. Antibodies of specificities related to the BP graded antigens are found in the sera of presumably nonimmunized baboons, and also in the rhesus isoimmune antisera that detect one of the subtypes of the so-called Drh graded system of macaques. These findings point to ubiquity of the BP or BP-like antigens, and to the close serological relationship between BP baboon and Drh macaque red cell antigens, perhaps as evidence of a common ancestral antigen which gave rise to a diverging set of graded subspecificities of baboon and macaque red cells, respectively.

Transfusion of incompatible blood in rhesus monkeys and baboons.

Four pairs of rhesus monkeys and five pairs of baboons were cross-transfused with large volumes of blood given at intervals varying from 3 weeks to 30 months. Although no acute transfusion reactions were observed, there was a significant reduction in survival rate of the transfused erythrocytes correlated with the level of antibodies in recipient's serum. The immune response of the recipient animal depended on the interval between transfusions and, to some extent, on the number and kind of erythrocyte incompatibilities between the recipient and the donor. These results emphasize the importance of blood group and compatibility testing prior to transfusion.

Human sickle erythrocytes: survival in chimpanzees.

The survival characteristics of human sickle (SS) erythrocytes (RBCs) transfused to intact chimpanzees were determined. The mean post-transfusion recovery of 51Cr-labelled SS RBCs in four chimpanzees was 30.5% +/- 15.2 SD, and the half-life survival was 4.2 h +/- 0.8 SD. The recovery of control (hemoglobin AA) human red cells in five chimpanzees was complete and their mean intravascular T 1/2 was 22.3 h. Shorter survival of sickle erythrocytes was also shown by transfusing chimpanzees with mixtures of human cells such as 51Cr AA RBCs and 59Fe SS RBCs, or 51Cr SS RBCs and non-labelled fetal (cord blood) erythrocytes. The difference in survival of AA and SS RBCs resembles that in human recipients and was probably caused by sickling of SS cells in the chimpanzee circulation. These primate animals could, therefore, be used as a model for in vivo studies of sickle cell disease.

Blood groups of Barbary apes (Macaca sylvanus).

32 Barbary macaques were all found to be secretors of the A and H blood group substances and to have an M-like agglutinogen on their red cells. Hemagglutination tests for other human-type red cell specificities were negative. In contrast, several so-called simian-type specificities were detected on the erythrocytes of Barbary apes by means of the cross-reacting rhesus and baboon antisera. Among these, only the specificities of the graded Drh blood group system were found to be polymorphic in this species of macaques. Blood groups of Barbary apes are compared with those of several other species of macaques and some taxonomic aspects of blood grouping tests are discussed.