The Rh factor is an innate hematopoietic indicator that depends on the presence or absence of D-antigen protein molecules, which can be located on the plasma membranes of erythrocytes.

Approximately 84% of the white population has this immunogenic protein, so their blood is called Rh positive and is designated Rh+. 16% of white-skinned people do not produce such a D-antigen and their blood is considered Rh-negative - Rh-.

The table below shows the percentage of people with Rh+ and Rh- among other inhabitants of the globe.

The presence of the Rh factor system in humans was discovered and proven, in the period from 1937 to 1942, by outstanding scientists - the American immunologist and infectious disease specialist Karl Landsteiner, his student Alexander Wiener, as well as Philip Levin and John Mahoney. For their research in this area, they were awarded the Albert Lasker Award for Clinical Medical Research in 1946.

To date, the existence of 50 different antigens of the Rhesus system has been proven, which can be located on the plasma membranes of human red blood cells, together or separately.

The most significant among them are D, C, c, CW, E and e. The term Rh factor (negative or positive) applies only to the D antigen.

Rh factor analysis

Rh positive or negative is determined during a special laboratory research venous blood. Such an analysis can be carried out on a glass plane or in a test tube using various techniques:

• using a direct agglutination reaction in a special saline solution;
• with direct agglutination with special high-molecular amplifiers;
• With pre-treatment red cells with protolytic enzymes;
• using the indirect antiglobulin Coombs test.

It is not necessary to take an analysis for the Rh factor on an empty stomach, but 2 hours before taking the sample for testing, you must avoid eating food, especially fatty foods, do not smoke or drink a lot of liquid, and also the day before - do not drink alcohol, cancel physiotherapeutic procedures and reduce physical activity. loads.

Important! When first determining Rhesus status, the reliability of the analysis performed must be confirmed and a secondary study must be carried out, subject to the same conditions and in the same medical laboratory.

Clinical significance of Rh status

In a person’s normal life or during the time when he is sick, the congenital Rh indicator has no meaning. This factor takes on special meaning in the following cases:

• in preparation for operations that may or will definitely require transfusion;
• before the planned blood transfusion of both blood and its components;
• during pregnancy - to establish the compatibility of the blood of mother and fetus;
• immediately after birth - with a diagnosis of “Hemolytic disease of the newborn”.

Rh factor during transfusion

For a harmless blood transfusion, it is necessary to carry out an analysis for the Rh factor of both the person who donates blood (donor) and the person receiving it (recipient). A reasonable question arises - why?

The most dangerous of all antigens in the Rh system is the D antigen. If a person whose blood does not have such antigens is transfused with blood containing them, the reaction of destruction of red blood cells starts - they begin to stick together into coin columns, which without immediate correction can lead to the development of transfusion shock and end in death.

At the moment, in the vast majority of cases, transfusion is allowed only if both the blood type and its Rh factor are fully consistent.

The immunogenic danger of 5 other significant antigens (C, c, CW, E and e) is significantly lower. They are determined when multiple transfusions are necessary for a person who has detected immune antibodies, and he requires an individual selection of donor blood.

In addition, about 1% of white-skinned people are carriers of weak variants of the D antigen, which are combined into the Du (Dweek) subgroup. Characteristic difference This subgroup is considered to be the fact that in such people the red blood cells are weakly expressed or never stick together in reactions during direct agglutination.

Therefore, today, the blood of absolutely all donors and recipients is required to undergo testing for the presence of Du. Donors with the Du antigen are classified as Rh positive.

If such blood is transfused into an Rh-negative recipient, severe transfusion consequences and an immune response are possible. But recipients with Du-antigens are considered Rh-negative, and accordingly they receive only Rh-negative transfusions. negative blood.

Here is one example that can mislead ordinary people and suggest a change in the Rh factor throughout life. In fact, the Rh factor does not change in people with the Du antigen.

Rhesus and pregnancy

Being Rh negative in a woman can significantly complicate the relationship between mother and fetus and affect the course of pregnancy. A dangerous situation or Rh conflict arises only when the expectant mother has a negative Rh factor, and the child inherited a positive Rh factor from the father at the time of conception. But this situation is not a disaster and depends on 2 points:

1. What kind of pregnancy is there, how many abortions and miscarriages have there been before;
2. Does a woman produce antibodies and which ones?

Hemolytic disease in the fetus is caused by certain classes of antibodies, which, due to their small size, can penetrate the placenta and harm the development of the child. Therefore, if antibodies are detected in a pregnant woman, she will definitely be prescribed nonspecific treatment. This does not mean that she will be prescribed any medications and the Rh factor will be able to change for a while. Basically, this will be a course of vitamin-mineral complexes and medications that help relieve allergic reactions.

In severe cases, the plasmapheresis procedure can be used to cleanse the pregnant woman’s blood of antibodies. In particular in rare cases and if the necessary equipment is available, intrauterine blood transfusion in the fetus is possible. But these blood transfusion procedures will not affect the Rh factor, and it will not be able to change in either the mother or the fetus.

During development hemolytic disease In newborns, the child is usually prescribed nursing therapeutic measures, but in especially severe cases, an exchange transfusion may be used, which can also become erroneous evidence of the statement that the Rh factor changes throughout life. Why?

For example, a newborn child with positive Rh factor transfused Rh-negative donor blood, since my mother’s Rh-negative began to destroy his own even before birth. Thus, the child lives for some time with a negative Rh factor. But this does not mean that the child’s Rh factor changes forever. When the blood is naturally renewed, Rh will become positive again.

Change in Rh factor

Like blood group, Rh factor is one of those hemolytic indicators, which is laid down at conception at the genetic level and does not change under any external or internal circumstances. Again why?

The production of D and other antigens, or lack thereof, is encoded at the DNA level, and will be produced or not produced throughout a person's life. A change in the Rh factor is always caused by mistakes made by laboratory technicians during the study.

Can the Rh factor change throughout life?

Dear interested! I can’t tell you the reasons, but the fact that rhesus can change is an indisputable fact for me! I am 36 years old. All my adult life I lived with 3 grams. res. (-). She donated blood more than once as a donor, in addition to that in clinics, maternity hospitals, hospitals, both before the birth of a child (at 25 years old) and after. And I have no doubt that it is absurd to assume that in all these cases, and there were about 18 of them, all the results were wrong. But 2 years ago I donated blood as a donor. I was surprised to find information about my (+) rhesus in the printout. I tried to explain that this was a mistake. I received an answer that this is a 100% correct result, and, although rare, rhesus can change in some people throughout life. But I am a stubborn person and not very gullible, and therefore, the very next day I went to the regional blood transfusion station, where I received confirmation in the laboratory - yes, I still have group 3, but Rh (+). To be honest, I’m shocked and delighted by this at the same time, because this is very important to me now. For last year I went through a big mental and spiritual change and a global reassessment of my life values ​​and goals. During the same period I met true love. I have been waiting for the arrival of my loved one for several months now. We are planning to conceive our unborn child in the summer, we are both preparing for this both mentally and physically. I don’t know whether what I wrote will convince anyone, and there is no such goal. But. I'll say this. A lot is possible in life, regardless of whether we understand the reasons why it happens or not. I wish you all goodness, joy, love, health and peace of mind. Best regards, Ekaterina. Stavropol.

Doctors say that neither Rh nor blood type changes. Everything remains the same. But I read a lot of reviews on the Internet that the blood type or Rh changed throughout life. Also, my sister had blood type 3 until she was 27, and after that she had blood type 4. I think the issue has simply not been studied properly. My sister did tests many times, both before and after.

I was faced with the fact that tests for the Rh factor often come back incorrectly. In the first pregnancy the Rh factor was positive, but in the second it was negative. I rechecked it at the most authoritative place in the city - the blood transfusion center - and it was confirmed positive. So if the tests show different things, you need to double-check them three times; there may be an error in the tests, but the Rh cannot change!

All my life I also believed that blood type and Rh factor are, so to speak, constant values ​​and do not change during a person’s life. But scientists are studying this question more and more, but still have not yet come to a definite answer. After looking on the Internet, I found this interesting article, which explains what a blood type is, the reasons for a possible change in the blood type and the Rh factor of a person’s blood.

The Rh factor cannot change throughout life, it is the same from birth - this is what doctors say. The laboratory assistant may not conduct the analysis in good faith, and therefore the result may be erroneous. There may be isolated cases where Rh has changed due to a blood transfusion, but this is not written about.

This person is most likely right. If he was a military man, he was injured and the tests were done hastily, something could have been mixed up.

Neither the Rh factor nor the blood type changes throughout life.

I myself know the case of the mistake in the group.

In my presence, a man underwent surgery and his blood type was not entered.

True, the groups were compatible and there was no reaction.

We discovered the mistake when they started pouring in another portion again.

Can your blood type change throughout your life? The concept of blood group and Rh factor

The 21st century is a time that requires strict control over your health. Due to the polluted environment, poor nutrition, stress, more and more people began to seek help from a doctor. Blood type and Rh factor are the basic characteristics of the body that in some cases determine human life(transfusion, organ transplantation, pregnancy and childbirth). Can your blood type change during your life?

This question is periodically raised on the Internet, but getting a definite answer is not easy. Some users write that this cannot be, while others are sure that changing the blood type is possible. Which one is right?

Blood type: what's the point?

Before you figure out whether a person’s blood type can change throughout life, it’s worth understanding what the essence of the classification of blood groups is.

Human blood is a unique biomaterial, which differs from person to person. Its characteristics are determined in the womb.

With blood we receive the set of genetic material that is passed on to us by our father and mother. Direct group determination is a process that detects the presence or absence of specific antibodies in the blood. They are called agglutinins and agglutinogens.

Blood type is a set of special antibodies that are present or not in plasma and cells. Red blood cells - erythrocytes - are capable of producing these substances. The main trigger for the production of antibodies is the presence of antigens. They are divided into two types - A and B. It is these substances that affect the blood group, which is taken as the basis for the AB0 blood group classification system. Due to their different combinations, scientists were able to identify four groups.

• 1 or 0 blood group. There are no agglutinogens in its composition, but at the same time, this type of blood has type A and B antibodies (agglutinins) in the blood plasma.
• Group 2 is designated “A”, this is due to the content of type A antigen. And there must be antibodies b in the plasma.
• Group 3 – antigen B and group A antibodies.
• Group 4 is a combination of two types of antigens - A and B, while there are no antibodies in it.

This classification is recognized throughout the world, but sometimes people simply have a poorly developed A-form. It is this fact that leads to the erroneous definition of the group.

Important! Blood type is not able to change during life, since it is a genetically embedded material that a person receives in the womb of the mother.

This feature can lead to accidents if compatibility is not checked in time. To correctly and accurately determine the group, doctors use special reagents to diagnose blood.

Rh factor

Can the Rh factor change throughout life? It is worth remembering that the Rh factor is an inherited element that cannot change. Misconception Only those people who do not know what Rh is are aware of this blood feature.

In world history, only a single case was recorded when a young 15-year-old girl had a change in Rh.

This happened after a liver transplant. She managed to find out about this change in blood only 6 years after the organ transplant. The girl suffered from an immune disease, during the treatment of which a change in Rh was revealed.

Doctors say that this could only happen for one reason - the donor’s liver contained stem cells that entered the girl’s bone marrow. Her body accepted these substances and launched new immune processes. An additional factor that influenced the change in Rh could be the fact that the donor was a young guy. His blood had a low number of white blood cells.

Can the Rh factor change? The answer for most scientists remains the same - no. This is a genetic trait that cannot change in a healthy person.

Rhesus conflict - what is it?

Rh positive or negative is an individual trait for each person. It does not affect your well-being in any way, but for a woman this fact is quite important if she plans to get pregnant.

The mother's body perceives the child as a foreign body, so it begins active actions by his rejection. Antibodies are synthesized in the blood of a pregnant woman, which are aimed at destroying the red blood cells of the child.

At this moment, the level of bilirubin in his body increases, which negatively affects the formation and functioning of the brain. At the same time, the liver and spleen enlarge, since these organs of the child are forced to neutralize and utilize a huge number of dead cells. As a result of the destruction of red blood cells, the child suffers from oxygen starvation, which leads to death if treatment is not started in time.

Attention! The threat of Rh conflict arises only if the mother is Rh- and the father is Rh+. The probability of a conflict developing is 75%. In this case, the first child of this couple is often born healthy, but it is important that the woman does not have contact with positive blood before this.

If there was a miscarriage after a Rh conflict, then Rh sensitization is possible in 3-4%; with normal childbirth, the percentage increases to 10-15.

Prevention and treatment in case of likelihood of Rh conflict

In order to timely determine the risk of developing such a reaction in the mother’s body, she is recommended to donate blood every month until the 32nd week of pregnancy. When the period varies between 32 and 35 weeks, the analysis is carried out 2 times a month. Until birth, it is advisable to donate blood every week to determine antibodies. This is the only way to protect the health of mother and child in the womb.

Based on the level of antibodies, medical staff are able to diagnose the likelihood of a conflict developing. After labor is completed, blood is immediately taken from the baby to determine Rh. When the baby is Rh+ and the mother is Rh-, she must be given anti-Rhesus immunoglobulin in the first 72 hours after birth. This is the only way to prevent rhesus conflict during the next pregnancy.

Advice! Such prevention must be carried out even if the woman had an ectopic pregnancy, had an abortion, miscarriage or placental abruption. The administration of serum is required if a woman has undergone manipulations on membranes or platelet transfusion.

It is worth starting treatment if the number of antibodies in a woman increases rapidly. The expectant mother must be placed in perinatal center, where doctors constantly monitor her and the child.

Can blood type change during life due to pregnancy?

On various forums, women who were pregnant prove that blood type can change due to their interesting situation. Allegedly, before pregnancy they had a different group. All these are just further guesses.

A pregnant woman's blood type cannot change. Bearing a child and giving birth in no way affects the group and Rh factor of the pregnant woman. You can find out about another group because:

• Errors in previous analysis;
• Development of tumors in the body (oncology);
• Incorrect blood sampling.

Scientists have proven that a pregnant girl’s body produces a large number of red blood cells, but at the same time the concentration of agglutinogens drops sharply. Only in this case, during the analysis process, the expectant mother may be mistakenly diagnosed with the first blood group, while in fact she has 2,3 or 4.

Can your blood type change due to illness during your life?

The disease, whatever it is, changes the composition of the blood, but it is in no way capable of affecting the group. It’s another matter if valuable antigens are lost due to illness. Chemical processes in the blood are interrelated, so some types of diseases may affect the production of antigens and agglutinogens, but this still does not change the group.

Important! It is possible to mistakenly determine your blood type if the number of red blood cells increases sharply.

This condition can develop due to certain diseases. In addition, rare pathogenic bacteria and microbes are able to produce enzymes that affect the composition of type A agglutinogens. Due to the pathological effects of such enzymes, type A turns into type B, which may show group 3 instead of 2. If a transfusion is done in such a situation, an incompatibility reaction may occur.

Exists rare disease Coolie or thalassemia, which can reduce the production of antigens. Such a change in plasma composition may distort the analysis result. In this condition, patients are often assigned to the first group.

Can significantly affect plasma oncological processes in the body. Leukemia and hematosarcoma have a particularly pronounced effect on the number of antigens.

As a result, thinking that blood type can change is a delusion. Such distortion of the results is possible only in isolated cases, but the group does not change. However, it cannot be correctly identified due to minimal production of antigens or excessive production of red blood cells.

How do you get an incorrect test result?

Blood type is checked immediately after birth. A newborn child must undergo such an analysis. The standard group verification process is simple:

• Capillary blood is collected;
• The resulting material is transported to the laboratory;
• At the third stage, the group itself is tested using reagents;
• They issue a conclusion.

Even at these 4 stages, laboratory assistants are capable of making mistakes that could cost the life of the diagnosed patient in the future. In addition, the life of another person depends on the incorrectly indicated result if this patient becomes a donor.

• Most often, medical staff make a mistake when test tubes with blood are involuntarily confused. It costs nothing to swap them. Not all laboratory technicians approach the blood sampling procedure correctly and responsibly.
• No one has canceled the dishonest attitude of medical staff towards the process of processing and disinfection of test tubes.
• Collected materials are transported in containers so they can be mixed. Mixing of samples occurs, again, due to an unscrupulous attitude towards work.

At this stage, the possibility of obtaining an erroneous result remains. But larger number medical errors occur during direct study of the analysis. This happens for the following reasons:

• Incorrect addition of serum directly to the sample;
• Use of expired and low-quality reagents;
• Failure to comply with hygiene standards in the room where diagnostics are carried out;
• Inconsistency temperature regime, air humidity or lighting;
• Use of outdated equipment;
• Human factor, inattention, fatigue.

There is no way to protect yourself from such “diagnosis”, especially if the analysis is carried out in a state medical institution. It is better to check your blood type in several laboratories. It is because of negligent medical staff that most people wonder whether the Rh factor or blood type can change.

Rare causes of errors

The group cannot change - this is a fact, but the so-called subtypes of the group can distort the result of the analysis. These are quite rare blood features that can only be diagnosed by modern methods of processing the material.

Such changes occur if:

• There are subtypes of type A antigen in the blood. To understand this feature, you need to know that each antigen has two types - A1 and A2. Both of these types are capable of sticking to foreign bodies in different ways, which leads to the appearance diagnostic errors in the process of diagnosing group 4. As a result, the agglutination reaction does not proceed properly, which leads to the appearance of a false group.
• Uncharacteristic clumping of red blood cells. When excessive agglutination of antibodies occurs, an autoimmune process develops in the plasma. Such a reaction may affect the result of the analysis. It is for this reason that a patient may become a false owner of group 4.
• Presence of erythrocyte chimeras. Doctors note such changes in the blood only in very rare cases. Often, such reactions occur in the blood of heterozygous twins who have not yet reached early age. The appearance of erythrocyte chimeras is due to the presence of a large number of different populations of erythrocytes. When an analysis is carried out, different red blood cells may react, which leads to a false result.

Important! This factor is especially important, since during bleeding, when an urgent blood transfusion is required, the body of such a person can trigger a reaction of massive destruction of blood cells.

• The presence of a “false erythrocyte chimera.” This rare condition can only develop due to systemic diseases or due to the development of sepsis. The blood begins to thicken, which leads to the fact that red blood cells are not able to normally enter into the isohemagglutination reaction. In newborns, this occurs due to defective formation of red blood cells. This condition goes away with age.

If these conditions or diseases are diagnosed, then doctors should re-test. It is important to clarify information in time.

Can the Rh factor or blood type change during life? The answer is no, since this is a genetic feature of every person. It is only possible that the result will be distorted due to a number of diseases or errors by medical staff. The main thing is to carry out compatibility tests before transfusion, and for accuracy, repeat the analysis in another laboratory.

I have a similar situation now. The first B was diagnosed as Rh-negative, and after the birth she was injected with immunoglobulin (child +). I registered as 2B in LCD No. 1, before that I was at 4, the Rhesus came negative for the first time, and the subsequent ones with the postscript Du, the doctor said not to pay attention, and now the 28th week comes and the Rhesus comes positive. I retake the test - positive. I talked to a doctor from the blood center, she said that they are now looking at other reagents, in which the D antigen can be seen even in small quantities, and he is already talking about positive Rh. In short, I’m still in shock, because even at Euromed I took this test 3 years ago, and it was negative. I'm still waiting for a meeting with a perenatologist, what will she say?

So, it's all about the reagents. Write down what the doctor says later. I recently retook it again, so far it’s positive)

Most likely it is a weakly positive Rhesus. Sometimes they write Rh"D". At the same time, the analyzes give different results. Sometimes +, sometimes -. 1% of people have this “third” Rh. There are three of them in my family))

Wow. Thanks, I'll let you know

what a nightmare. Yes, it seems like this is an elementary analysis, how can you make a mistake there. And they always check it in hospitals, why didn’t they check it when you were sick? Some kind of negligence, honestly. It’s good that at least by 36 weeks the situation has cleared up)))

Yes, after digging through a bunch of information, I realized that the Rh factor and blood type never change. There are just hand-assed laboratory assistants!!

Well, at least your post is sound about not always blindly trusting our laboratories, they can make mistakes and do so often. And then yesterday there seemed to be a post about how many people change not only their Rhesus, but also their group))) and they believe that it really changes))))) You just need to double-check everything a hundred times.

It follows that in some people it is almost impossible to accurately determine this characteristic in a typical way. Those. it cannot change, but may be inaccurately defined. This is due to the difficulty of finding those same antigens on the surface of red blood cells. Their complete disappearance may indicate some kind of disease, including acute myeloid leukemia. However, the blood type itself does not change..

Antigens such as A and B of the AB0 system contain carbohydrate molecules connected in chains. To carry out this process, the enzyme glycosyltransferases is required. In patients with acute myeloid leukemia, the activity of this enzyme changes and becomes lower. This is why antigens on the surface of red blood cells may not be detected.

In connection with the above, we can draw a conclusion and give a final answer to the question: is there a possibility that the blood type has changed or can it change at all? No. There is a possibility that an error was made in some of the studies. It is also possible that one of your AB0 antigens is weakly expressed, which is a reason for testing repeated tests using additional reagents«.

Previously, there was very little information about Rh conflicts, homolytic disease, etc., so they could not save the babies. Needless to say, even now not all clinics administer immunoglobulin

Can the Rh factor change throughout life?

All medical canons adamantly assert that the Rh factor and blood group are categorically unchangeable indicators, they represent an inherited trait received by a person at conception and maintained until death. However, sometimes events still occur that defy rational explanation. Especially with the development of information digital technologies Information that someone’s Rh factor or blood type has changed is increasingly becoming available to people interested in the problem.

If today you ask a question on the Internet: is it possible to change Rhesus during a person’s life, then, no matter how paradoxical it may seem, there will be many answers that are distributed approximately equally. It is worth understanding what the Rh factor of blood is and how realistic its change is in humans.

What is Rh factor

The Rh factor, like blood group, is a genetically inherited trait, the change of which is impossible under normal (natural) conditions. At least that's what modern science says. Whether a person has a Rh factor, positive or negative, is determined by the presence of the Rh antigen on his red blood cells. Almost eighty-five percent of people's red blood cells have this protein, and their Rh is considered positive. Other people do not have this antigen and are Rh negative.

However, there are other antigens that make up the Rh system that are not as immunogenic. A certain number of people (about one percent) who are Rh positive have the ability to produce anti-Rh antibodies. In the erythrocytes of such a person, the expression of normal Rh antigen is significantly reduced. This state of affairs occasionally forces Rh positive patients to be sent to negative group. For example, during blood transfusion, contact with donor positive blood to the patient may provoke an immune conflict.

In addition to the blood transfusion procedure, it is recommended to determine the Rh factor when planning pregnancy for timely detection the possibility of an immunological conflict between the unborn child and his mother. The consequence of such a conflict may be the development of hemolytic disease in the child.

Rh factor in various conditions

For the formation (expression) of antigen molecules on red blood cells, the body must synthesize certain proteins. In this case, information about the amino acid sequence (protein structure) is encrypted in DNA. The formation of a specific protein occurs as a result of the work of a specific section of DNA (a specific gene), which is located in a specific location (locus) of the chromosome.

The gene responsible for Rh factor D acts as a dominant gene, which means it suppresses the allelic gene d. As a result, Rhesus positive person there may be a genotype of one of two types - DD or Dd, and people with negative Rhesus are characterized exclusively by the dd genotype. At conception, a person is transmitted from his parents one gene responsible for the Rh factor, which means that it is possible to obtain three variants of the genotype:

Science claims that an initially formed gene cannot change during life, which means that Rh is a constant value. However, sometimes, quite rarely, incidents do occur; isolated patients express surprise that after the next blood test the Rh factor has changed. In fact, there is almost always an explanation. It does not mean, of course, that there was a change in Rh, it’s just that previous analyzes were performed with an error associated with not very high-quality reagents.

A person who is Rh negative may have the Kel protein in their blood, which can mimic Rh antigens. Such a protein exhibits the qualities of a positive Rhesus.

It is interesting that a person with such blood absolutely cannot be a donor, but only negative blood is allowed to be given to him. Therefore, it is necessary to know that an absolutely accurate result for determining the Rh sign, as well as the blood group, can only be provided by genotyping, which is in the newest way gene research.

Exception to the Rule

A case where the Rh factor changed was nevertheless recorded, it turns out that this can happen. A change in Rh was discovered by Australian doctors in a fifteen-year-old patient after a liver transplant. The girl's immune system parameters have changed.

During organ transplantation, such a phenomenon can only be welcomed, because almost always there is an attempt to reject the transplanted organ by the recipient’s immune system, which poses a danger to life. For warning similar phenomenon, the patient is forced for a long time take medications that suppress the immune system.

The situation with the young girl did not develop according to the usual scenario. After the liver transplant, doctors undertook all the required procedures, but after some time the patient developed a disease that caused a restructuring of the immune system. An examination after recovery showed that the patient’s blood somehow became positive of the first group, although before the operation it was the first negative. And the immunity indicators began to change, and as a result they began to correspond to the donor ones.

Doctors are trying to explain the possibility of changing Rhesus by transferring stem cells from a donor liver to the recipient’s bone marrow. As an additional factor that allowed the Rh to change and ensured excellent engraftment of the transplanted liver, the young age of the donor was taken, due to which his blood contained very low level leukocytes.

However, today this fact is isolated. Nowhere else have doctors recorded another case of such serious changes as a result of transplantation. In the case under consideration, the liver transplant caused an effect similar to the consequences of a bone marrow transplant. It is noted that the girl’s condition is so good that she does not even need frequent hospital stays. Regular consultations with a hepatologist are quite sufficient.

Cutting-edge science on rhesus reversal

Not a sensation yet, but somewhere nearby. Scientists at the Brazilian institution São João do Meriti, after many studies conducted among their patients who underwent spleen and liver transplantation, came to the conclusion that the protein found on red blood cells can change. Of course, this requires a coincidence of certain circumstances, but this conclusion indicates that a change in rhesus is possible during life.

Studies have concluded that almost twelve percent of patients are at risk of changing the polarity of the Rh factor due to transplantation. The change can occur in any direction, and the blood type does not change.

According to Dr. Itar Minas, the responsible specialist, the transplant results in a significant restructuring of the functioning of the immune system. This is especially noticeable in the case of transplantation of organs directly responsible for the synthesis of erythrocyte antigen. He explains this by saying that during the process of engraftment of a new organ, its stem cells can take over part of the hematopoietic functions of the bone marrow.

The result of this may be a change in rhesus, despite the encoding of the molecular structure of antigens at the gene level by the appropriate mechanism. According to a group of researchers, great value has the age of both the donor and the recipient. Brazilian doctors are confident that in younger patients the possibility of antigen modification is much higher than in older ones. In addition, they pay attention to the content of information about protein determinants in chromosomal loci and alleles, but their exact number has not yet been established. Presumably some of them allow a change in rhesus.

Thus, the still fantastic statements about the alleged change in the Rh factor are beginning to find scientific confirmation. However, the vast majority of such statements most likely still represent a common laboratory error.

The Rh factor may change

What is the Rh factor, why is it positive in some people and negative in others, does the Rh factor change throughout life?

Blood - refers to connective tissues body, this liquid medium containing thousands various substances. Some of which it simply transports - they are “transit” components. Other substances and cells determine the constancy and individuality of the blood composition; it is this moment that will help to understand whether the Rh factor changes throughout life.

One of the constant components of blood is the Rh factor.

Does the Rh factor change throughout life? The answer to the question can be unequivocal: no, it does not change.

The presence of the Rh factor is determined genetically. If a person (by inheritance) has a gene encoding the production of D-antigen, then the Rh factor is present in the blood throughout life and the Rh factor in this person is positive Rh+. If the D antigen is not produced, then the person does not have the Rh factor and is considered negative Rh-.

What is Rh factor and what are its functions?

The rhesus system (if its name is associated with monkeys, this is no coincidence; this factor was first identified in rhesus monkeys, hence the name) includes many protein-antigens. It is now believed that the number of these antigens in the Rh system is about 50, the main ones are coded by letters:

Of these antigens, the most “active” in terms of the immune system is protein D, which is called the Rh factor. This protein is located on the very surface of red blood cells. 85% of people have this factor, and it (Rh factor) does not change throughout life. The remaining part of the population does not have the D antigen in their blood, and the composition of their blood according to the Rh factor also does not change throughout life.

Antigen D is part of transmembrane proteins that make up ion channels - for transporting various molecules inside the erythrocyte. Its presence is constant, such as blood type or hair color or skin color.

The percentage of Rh positive population - 85% - is a statistic for the Caucasian race. Among blacks there is a much larger Rh+ population - 93%, and among Indians and Asians the number of representatives with Rh+ reaches 99%.

The influence of the Rh factor on pregnancy and how it is transmitted to the child

It will be especially useful for expectant mothers who lack the Rh factor (Rh-) to understand how this can affect individual feature on pregnancy and the health of the unborn baby? The most important thing here is what Rh their significant other has:

• If a man is Rh- (negative), then there is no need to worry about complications associated with an Rh conflict - the unborn child will not have a D-antigen;
• If a man has Rh+, there is a possibility of a gene combination in a child with or without D-antigen. That is, a child’s Rh factor can be either positive or negative. It is impossible to accurately predict the transmission from the father of the gene encoding the formation of the Rh factor.

In any case, pregnancy planning for a woman with Rh- should be carried out with mandatory consultation with specialists.

The first pregnancy, in a greater percentage of cases, does not cause an obvious Rh conflict, even if there is a Rh factor in the blood of the unborn child. But at the same time, the mother’s body is sensitized (readiness is activated) for next appearances such a protein, a pool of antibodies to the D-protein accumulates. And, in repeated cases of conceiving children, the production of antibodies to the D-antigen is very active, possibly affecting the red blood cells of the fetus in utero. The earlier the aggressive effect of maternal antibodies on the child’s red blood cells occurs, the more serious the consequences for the baby’s health, and HDN is possible.

Hemolytic disease of the newborn (HDN)

This is a pathological process of destruction (hemolysis) of red blood cells in the child’s blood under the influence of antibodies carried with the mother’s blood through the umbilical cord. It appears already on the 1st day of life with a bright yellow color of the skin. Unlike physiological jaundice newborns:

• manifestations of tension-type headache affect the baby’s condition, severe anemia may develop;
• the liver is unable to process increased amount decomposition products;
• a significant increase in bilirubin (over 240 µmol/l);
• manifestations last more than 10 days;
• possible increase in the size of the liver and spleen;
• with a prolonged increase in bilirubin in the blood, it may accumulate in the brain with the development of kernicterus (a serious complication of tension-type headache).

The Rh factor does not change throughout life, and therefore it is important for an Rh- woman to take into account all pregnancies from an Rh+ man (not necessarily full-term - abortions, missed pregnancies, and stillbirths are taken into account). In all these cases, the body is activated; the mother’s body perceives the presence of the Rh factor in the fetus as a foreign protein, which her immune system begins to fight. The memory of these antigens is stored in the form of " immune memory"in the blood all my life.

Can a person's Rh factor change during their lifetime?

Greetings, dear friends! Many of us are concerned about the question: can a person’s Rh factor change during his life? In fact, the question is interesting and controversial, because science tells us one thing, but people tell us another. Well, let's look into this issue.

What is Rh factor?

First, you need to find out the meaning this definition. This, as you all know, is another qualitative assessment of a blood characteristic parameter, depending on the presence or absence of D-antigen in the human body. This indicator congenital (!).

The presence of protein molecules D - antigen is a sign of positive Rhesus (Rh+). Their absence is correspondingly negative (RH-).

The second case is less common. Its owners are only about 15% of the world's population. The remaining 85% of the population has a plus sign.

As you already understood, there is no intermediate option. There are only two of them: either “positive” or “negative”.

How is Rh factor transmitted?

This indicator is given to a person from birth.

Typically, the probability of acquiring one or another rhesus is as follows:

1. A positive father and mother give a 75% chance of a positive Rh in the child and a 25% chance of a negative one.
2. Negative parents mean a 100% chance of a negative baby.
3. If one of the parents is “positive” and the other is “negative”, the child has an equal chance (50% / 50%) of having both rhesus.

I would especially like to highlight the case when the mother has a “minus”. In this case, certain difficulties may arise during pregnancy. The occurrence of Rhesus conflict is especially dangerous (when the mother and the fetus are “minus” and “plus”, respectively).

In this case, a number of serious complications, however, all of them can be eliminated if you strictly follow the instructions and recommendations of your doctor. In extremely severe cases, a plasmapheresis procedure is performed, which, in essence, is the process of purifying the mother’s blood from antibodies or an intrauterine blood transfusion of the fetus (however, this will not cause a change in the Rh factor in either the mother or her baby).

Can the Rh factor change?

On at the moment there is a lot of controversy. As mentioned above, this is an innate indicator, not acquired. Consequently, a person receives it at conception and it remains unchanged until the moment of death. Then why was there such a stir around this issue?

Recently (especially with the development of digital and computer technologies), we can increasingly hear about cases of the so-called change of Rh factor: when a person had one throughout his life, and then suddenly suddenly changed to the opposite one. What could have caused this?

The thing is that people with negative Rhesus have “Kel” proteins in their blood, which can, under certain conditions, exhibit the qualities of a positive Rhesus factor. This means that if the doctor does not work correctly or uses poor quality reagents, the analysis results may be erroneous, which causes confusion for patients.

However, I would like to mention one, only (!) scientifically recorded case. After a liver transplant, a fifteen-year-old Australian woman completely changed all her immune system parameters, and her Rh changed from “minus” to “plus.” However, the blood type remained the same, first.

In my opinion, one thing should also be mentioned scientific research, which promises to be sensational. Brazilian scientists, in the course of a series of experiments, discovered that during liver and spleen transplantation (with the coincidence of many additional conditions, of course), the protein found in red blood cells can change. This means that a change in Rh during life is possible (and the blood type always remains the same).

Thus, this theory is slowly acquiring a scientific basis, however, there is still no indisputable evidence to confirm it.

That, my dear listeners, is all. If you are interested in additional questions, leave a comment. I am always glad to communicate with you. See you again!

Can blood type change and why?

You can find various information about blood type on Internet sources. One of the frequently asked questions is whether this parameter changes throughout life?

Some claim that this has happened to them. But most experts prove that such a phenomenon is impossible, because group membership is a hereditary parameter.

Sometimes a blood test shows a result that is significantly different from the previous one. Can a person’s blood type change and why examination data may not match - questions the answers to which can be found in this article.

Basic Concepts

A blood group is the totality of its properties that a person receives in the womb. This is an inherited trait, a specific molecular set consisting of white and red blood cells and platelets.

Determination of group membership is carried out using an antigen (another name is agglutinogen), to which there is a specific antibody. When they are combined, red blood cells stick together.

Agglutinogens can be found in human saliva and other biological material in the body. In medicine, their varieties are designated in Latin lettersβ – “beta” and α – “alpha”.

Depending on the number of agglutinogens, 4 group affiliations are determined:

• First. It is also called zero. In the decryption it is designated “0”. Characterized by the presence of alpha and beta antibodies in the blood, but the absence of agglutinogens in the membrane of red cells.
• Second. Denoted as "A". This variety is characterized by the presence of beta antibodies and antigen A in the membrane of red blood cells.
• Third. Designated "B". Consists of antibody A in the blood and antigen B in the membrane of red cells.
• Fourth. Characterized by the absence of alpha and beta antibodies. But in the erythrocyte membrane it has antigens A and B, therefore it is designated “AB”.

On initial stage During development, ABO antigens appear in the embryo. Closer to birth, a significant amount of these structures are already in the child’s blood. This parameter is hereditary factor, therefore cannot change.

This characteristic is determined using a blood test. Every person needs to know it, since all groups have different effects on each other. Information about this parameter in the analysis can help save one's own or someone else's life during transfusion.

Rh factor

This is a protein that is found on the membrane of red blood cells and is called an agglutinogen. Depending on its presence or absence, two rhesus are determined:

• Negative. Characterized by the absence of this protein. In the world, about 15-20% of people have this rhesus.
• Positive. The protein mentioned is present.

If there is a change in the examination results, this may indicate an incorrect analysis or an error in decoding.

Is it possible to change group and rhesus?

According to doctors, blood type cannot change throughout life.

There are cases when conventional research methods do not provide reliable results, but the decryption data does not match. Changes are provoked by various factors.

This phenomenon is explained by the fact that alpha and beta red blood cells are poorly expressed or the body is experiencing some atypical condition. Changes in the parameter are observed in women during pregnancy, as well as during certain pathological processes in the body. Men make fewer mistakes.

People's group affiliation does not change with age. If they put a different number than what was before, this means that the indicator was not determined with one hundred percent certainty.

Can it change during transfusion?

After a blood transfusion, the group remains the same. However, scientists tend to believe that changes are possible if a person receives a bone marrow transplant. Theoretically, this is possible if the bone marrow dies and another group is donated. In practice, such cases are rare.

Pregnancy and childbirth: are changes possible?

Many women talk about changes in test results during pregnancy and after childbirth.

This is due to the fact that during pregnancy, the production of red blood cells is activated, so the number of red blood cells increases. As the number of red cells increases, the amount of agglutinogens begins to decrease, so the red blood cells stop connecting.

In this case, the first group is most often found in women, although the real group may be the fourth, third or second.

In what cases is it possible to change the blood type?

A sign such as a change in blood characteristics may indicate a problem in the body. various pathologies. Most often this phenomenon is observed in diseases such as:

• blood cancer (hematosarcoma, leukemia);
• other oncological diseases;
• pathologies of the hematopoietic system (thalassemia).

In such cases, there is a decrease in the number of antigens in the plasma, so they are poorly expressed and traditional studies to determine group affiliation do not give a 100% result. Analysis may show a different indicator, but this does not mean that this property blood has changed.

It is possible to change the phenotype after infectious diseases. This is because some pathogens produce an enzyme that converts antigen A into something similar to antigen B. The number of antigens may also change, leading to incorrect interpretation of the test result.

Invalid group definition

There is always a risk of error:

• in case of violation of the rules for collecting material and its transportation;
• directly when identifying the group using laboratory methods;
• when decoding the result.

Most often, the group is incorrectly identified due to medical error and dishonest work of medical staff. Errors in the analysis are also possible due to the use of expired reagents or the incorrect sequence of introducing serum into the blood sample.

Thus, neither the type nor the Rh of a person’s blood can change, because these properties are determined by a hereditary factor and are established during the period of intrauterine development.

True, sometimes there are cases when analysis shows a different result over time. This occurs due to an error or weakly expressed agglutinogens due to various factors, such as pregnancy, childbirth, cancer, pathologies of the circulatory and hematopoietic systems.

There is a lot of information about blood groups, and their varieties have long been well studied by scientists. However, many people often ask the following question: can blood type change? This option is, in fact, simply impossible, since a certain group has its own indicators, which were laid down at the genetic level during the mother’s time and therefore their change is impossible. But some claim that their group has changed throughout their lives. Why is this happening?

What is the definition of a group based on?

A blood group is a set of elements that make up a person's blood. These elements include:

1. Leukocytes;
2. Red blood cells.

This combination is determined by plasma proteins and antigens. There are now 300 different antigens known to exist in the blood, which can create different combinations. But during analyzes, specialists take into account the data of the Rh factor and antigens (agglutinogens) of red blood cells, since due to their activity they are easier to detect. It is because of them that some types of blood are incompatible with each other.

Human blood groups are characterized by their agglutinogens and antibodies (agglutins). As a rule, there are two types of agglutins: “alpha” and “beta”, which are present in the blood plasma, as well as two agglutinogens: A and B, which are found on red blood cells.

Antigens can be found in almost all human tissues, with the exception of brain tissue and on any red blood cells. But when analyzing blood, specialists only care about agglutinogens on the surface of red blood cells. Agglutins can only combine with such antigens, causing hemolysis and agglutination. The only exception is agglutinogen 0, with which these reactions are impossible. Antibodies are found in plasma, lymph, and exudate. They, producing different blood groups, combine with antigens A-, B-.

Blood groups - their varieties

Today, four blood groups will be distinguished, having a negative as well as a positive Rh factor. Blood type can be determined using the following compounds of agglutinogens and agglutins:

• In the first group there are no antigens, but both agglutens are present;
• In the second group there is agglutinogen A, “beta” antibodies, but there is no agglutinogen B;
• The third group contains agglutin “alpha” and agglutinogen B;
• The fourth group contains agglutinogens A and B, but no agglutins.

Every person needs to know information about the group. Thanks to this, during a blood transfusion, it is possible to determine compatibility or its absence with another group.

Determination of Rh factor

A protein found on red blood cells makes it possible to detect the Rh factor of the blood. There are two types of them: negative positive. If such a protein is present, the Rh factor is positive, otherwise negative. The number of people with positive Rh factor blood is about 85%.

Experts call the absence or presence of the Rh factor in a person immunological. This indicator does not change, and its transmission occurs at the genetic level.

You need to know that the Rh factor, whether positive or negative, is not a heredity error or any disease or deviation. This is simply a sign of individuality and a feature of the human body. This indicator can be compared with hair shade or skin color.

Rh factor conflict

In addition to belonging to a specific group, you also need to know the Rh factor. This is especially important for expectant mothers. When planning a child, women need to know not only their own Rh factor, but also that of their partner. With different Rh factors in a man and a woman, there is a risk of Rh conflicts in the fetus and woman.

It is impossible to determine the Rh factor before the birth of the child. We can only roughly guess the percentage of bad outcomes. So, for example, the probability that a woman with a negative Rh factor will give birth to a child with a positive Rh factor is approximately 8-9%. However, such mothers quite calmly give birth to children who have a positive Rh factor. Conflicts associated with differences in Rh factors are very dangerous, but occur quite rarely and account for approximately 1% of the total number of pregnancies. As a result, it is necessary to immediately undergo all tests at the first consultation and always follow the doctor’s recommendations so that there are no complications later.

Possible reasons for data changes

Because of distinctive features the body in different people, it happens that the classical options for determining a specific blood group do not provide the opportunity to obtain comprehensive information. Because of this, data about membership in a specific group may be different times change. The result of this may be poorly expressed A-, B- antigens.

However, such signs can also be observed in people who have blood cancer or similar oncology. As a result of diseases, the content of antigens in the plasma decreases, as a result of which they are poorly expressed. Using standard tests, it is often not always possible to reliably determine the group, as well as the Rh factor. Using standard tests in such patients, determining the blood type is quite complicated, but this does not mean that the blood type, as well as its parameters, have changed.

To put it more intelligently, the indicators simply cannot be determined 100% accurately. Based on this, what can be found when taking blood tests from people who are susceptible serious illnesses, doctors advise regular medical examinations.

The answer to the question: can blood type change is negative. In addition, the combination of antigens present at the very beginning of intrauterine development cannot change either after or during pregnancy.

If, after examining the analysis, the blood type has changed, it can be assumed that there is an error, or that the antigens in the blood are weak in nature. In this case, new studies are carried out using other reagents.

Video about blood type types

In this video you will learn why you need to know your blood type:

Recently, an acquaintance told me that his wife, while undergoing tests during pregnancy, “changed” her blood type. Was the third, became the first. The logical question is: HOW? After all, the blood type is genetically determined... And it can only change in a spider-man. But, nevertheless, it is a fact: there was a third blood group (according to documents, tests were carried out more than once), but it became the first (a characteristic reaction to the first blood group). So the question still remains: Can your blood type change? By the way, as a survey of friends showed, this is not an isolated case. There is another documented change, but this time in the Rh factor. How? Why? For what?

We will try to answer in this article, which is not in vain placed in the ““ section.

Can your blood type change? What’s most interesting is that if you ask a search engine about this question, you will find a LOT of forums where this issue is discussed. Usually the forum begins like this: “ My blood type has changed... Why?»

This is followed by two different types of responses:

• this can never happen (I swear by Mendel!) - the doctors made a mistake (about 50% of answers)
• and my/my friend’s blood type has changed (about 50% of answers).

According to reports, the statistics are as follows:

• blood type changes are most often recorded in women
• This mainly occurs during pregnancy.

Undoubtedly, the possibility of medical error exists; This is why a compatibility test MUST be done when receiving a blood transfusion. So as not to guess, but to be sure. But a mistake is a mistake, and facts are facts: there was one blood type, but it became another. Why?

To answer, let's first understand blood groups.

To make it clear what can or cannot change in a blood group.

So, did you know that not the well-known 4 groups, but hundreds of billions of combinations of blood groups are possible? And just like that. Why is this so? It's very simple.

Certain substances are responsible for blood type, they are called “antigens”.

Why such a strange name “antigens”? It's just an acronym: anti body- gen erating, antibody manufacturer. Antigens are signal beacons for the immune system that it is time to produce antibodies. Antibodies are special molecules whose task is to bind and neutralize antigens. Antibodies LITERALLY bind to antigens, they act like a kind of adhesive mesh. That's why many of them are called agglutinins, adhesives.

Antigens can be external or internal. The most dangerous antigens are parts of the membranes of bacteria and viruses (usually they come from outside). Consequently, as soon as familiar antigens appear in the blood (= attack by microorganisms), antibodies neutralize them. Also an example of antigens are substances that cause allergies.

Each antigen has its own antibody. If the body has never had a certain antigen, then there will be no corresponding antibodies. The antigenic mechanism of immunity is the body's memory of diseases. This is protection for the future. This is how vaccinations work. For new diseases for which there are no antibodies, there are other immune mechanisms.

In connection with blood group, we are interested in internal antigens. These are substances that are attached to the membrane of red blood cells, red blood cells, oxygen/carbon dioxide carriers.

Since there are HUNDREDS of antigens in the blood, hundreds of billions of possible combinations (= blood groups) can be constructed. But in connection with the well-known blood groups (1, 2, 3, 4 and Rh factor), we are only interested in antigens A, B and Rh.

So, in a simplified form, 4 cases are possible:

1. There is antigen A on the membrane of red blood cells. Blood group is second (denoted A). There are β antibodies in the blood
2. There is antigen B on the membrane of red blood cells. Blood group is third (denoted B). There are α antibodies in the blood
3. The membrane contains both A and B. Blood group is fourth (designated AB). There are no α and β antibodies in the blood
4. There are no these antigens on the shell. Blood group first (denoted O). There are both α and β antibodies in the blood

Plus two options:

1. There is an Rh antigen on the membrane of red blood cells. Rh factor is positive (because the substance is present)
2. There is no Rh antigen on the membrane of red blood cells. The Rh factor is negative (since there is no antigen).

What does this give us? This gives knowledge about the presence of certain antibodies in the blood. And also the ability to predict what will happen if the blood of one group is mixed with the blood of another group. Roughly speaking: adhesion, blood clotting will occur, or not.

So, we remember: for each antigen there is a “personal” antibody that will stick this antigen together.

Hence:

• A + α = × (axe head)
• B + β = × (axe head)
• A, B + α = × (axe head)
• A, B + β = × (axe head)
• A + α, β = × (axe head)
• B + α, β = × (axe head)
• A, B + α, β = × (axe head)

Accordingly, if there is already, say, antibody α in the blood, then there SHOULD NOT BE antigen A in the infused blood. Otherwise, there will be clumping and agglutination. In general, trouble. All patterns with A, B, etc. can be expressed as a table:

Or, which is much simpler, with a drawing:

With the Rh factor it’s the same story; the given table simply becomes 2 times more complicated. But this does not scare us; it is important for us to simply understand the antigens. We have tried to illustrate their functions and presence through a description of blood transfusion. We hope we succeeded.

By the way, an interesting question: Why do some people have antigens and others don’t? There is no answer to this question. But there is an assumption: these may be the remains of symbiotic microorganisms (for example, viruses), which during the process of evolution gradually “dissolved” in the body. So, did you know that mitochondria (the energy stations of cells that have their own DNA) are most likely bacteria that long ago, in ancient times, entered into symbiosis with nuclear cells? And so here it is :) Apparently, a similar case is indicated by the presence of certain antigens in human blood.

But this is a digression from the topic. We return:

We are interested in whether it is possible to change blood type during life.

So let's continue. Why are we even talking about the gluing of red blood cells? Because gluing is blood group test.

Blood type is determined using sera containing antibodies α, β, α + β. First, the serum is dripped onto a plate. Then drops of blood are added to the serum. The amount of blood should be 10-15 times less than serum. Next, the agglutination (gluing) of red blood cells is observed under a microscope. Based on the results of gluing / non-gluing (using a table similar to the one above), the blood type is determined. For example, the fourth blood group will not cause adhesion, but the first will in all cases.

Here we come to key point our article.

The blood type can only change if the synthesis of antigens is stopped/severely weakened, they are no longer on red blood cells. Why can the synthesis of certain antigens be stopped/severely weakened? For a number of reasons. To describe them, let's look at the quotes:

Previously, there was no doubt that blood type, like fingerprints, remains unchanged throughout life. But it turns out that this is not so.

The ABO phenotype can change in a number of infections. Some bacteria secrete an enzyme into the blood that converts the A1 antigen into a B-like one. This enzyme splits off some part of antigen A, the remaining part becomes similar to antigen B. If the patient is given a blood test at the time of illness, you can get false result- the analysis can show blood group B. But at this time a person cannot be infused with blood group B, since his blood plasma still contains antibodies to it. After a person recovers, the red blood cell phenotype returns to its original one. It turns out that, from the point of view of laboratory analysis, such a disease is accompanied by a temporary change in blood type.

Any disease associated with increased production of red blood cells - for example, thalassemia - can also weaken the amount of ABO antigens on the surface of red blood cells. In such a situation laboratory analysis can show that a person has blood type O. Antibodies in a test tube will not “find” the insignificant amount of remaining antigens A and B, or the reaction of their interaction will be invisible.

ABO blood group antigens can also change during development tumor diseases blood.

Now let's analyze:

We started the article with fact: a pregnant girl went to the hospital for a blood test, and was surprised that she was transferred from group 3 to group 1.

Fact #2: increased production of red blood cells leads to the fact that there are few specific antigens on their surface (in this case, B antigens), which creates the illusion of O, the first blood group.

Pattern: pregnancy is associated with intensive synthesis erythrocytes (the blood volume of pregnant women increases to 1.5-2 liters, and the number of erythrocytes increases to 130%).

Conclusion: pregnancy, under certain conditions, can lead to a decrease in the number of antigens on the surface of red blood cells, and, therefore, to a “change” of blood type.

The survey showed that among my friends, one woman also found herself with a change in blood type. Only in her case the Rh factor changed (from positive to negative). Proteins that are also attached to the membrane of red blood cells are responsible for the Rh factor. Therefore, we can assume: just like with a false zero blood group, a false Rh-negative blood group is also possible.

Theoretically, after childbirth and with a decrease in blood volume and a decrease in the synthesis of red blood cells, all indicators should return to their places.

Among the data on the forums, there were also other shifts in blood groups (from 2 to 3, from 3 to 4, etc.). It is likely that they are subject to similar mechanisms.

However, the issue of “changing” the blood type has not been studied enough, which is in vain - this change can, for example, be good diagnostic sign to identify a number of diseases. So doctors have room for creativity :)

So, the conclusion: blood type can “change” under certain conditions.

There are several hypotheses that explain these temporal changes. The hypotheses have not received sufficient theoretical and experimental substantiation in clinical settings.

Although there are many untraceable and undocumented facts that support these hypotheses.

Perhaps someone has additional information? Be sure to write in the comments!

The magazine Around the World helped to understand the issue: http://www.vokrugsveta.ru/telegraph/pulse/565/

However, sometimes events still occur that defy rational explanation. Especially with the development of digital information technologies, information that someone’s Rh factor or blood type has changed is increasingly becoming available to people interested in the problem.

If today you ask a question on the Internet: is it possible to change Rhesus during a person’s life, then, no matter how paradoxical it may seem, there will be many answers that are distributed approximately equally. It is worth understanding what the Rh factor of blood is and how realistic its change is in humans.

What is Rh factor

The Rh factor, like blood group, is a genetically inherited trait, the change of which is impossible under normal (natural) conditions. At least that's what modern science says. Whether a person has a Rh factor, positive or negative, is determined by the presence of the Rh antigen on his red blood cells. Almost eighty-five percent of people's red blood cells have this protein, and their Rh is considered positive. Other people do not have this antigen and are Rh negative.

However, there are other antigens that make up the Rh system that are not as immunogenic. A certain number of people (about one percent) who are Rh positive have the ability to produce anti-Rh antibodies. In the erythrocytes of such a person, the expression of normal Rh antigen is significantly reduced. This state of affairs occasionally forces Rh positive patients to be sent to the negative group. For example, during blood transfusion, the entry of positive donor blood into the patient can provoke an immune conflict.

In addition to the blood transfusion procedure, it is recommended to determine the Rh factor when planning pregnancy in order to timely identify the possibility of an immunological conflict between the unborn child and his mother. The consequence of such a conflict may be the development of hemolytic disease in the child.

Rh factor in various conditions

For the formation (expression) of antigen molecules on red blood cells, the body must synthesize certain proteins. In this case, information about the amino acid sequence (protein structure) is encrypted in DNA. The formation of a specific protein occurs as a result of the work of a specific section of DNA (a specific gene), which is located in a specific location (locus) of the chromosome.

The gene responsible for Rh factor D acts as a dominant gene, which means it suppresses the allelic gene d. As a result, a Rh positive person can have the genotype of one of two types - DD or Dd, while people with Rh negative have only the dd genotype. At conception, a person is transmitted from his parents one gene responsible for the Rh factor, which means that it is possible to obtain three variants of the genotype:

Science claims that an initially formed gene cannot change during life, which means that Rh is a constant value. However, sometimes, quite rarely, incidents do occur; isolated patients express surprise that after the next blood test the Rh factor has changed. In fact, there is almost always an explanation. It does not mean, of course, that there was a change in Rh, it’s just that previous analyzes were performed with an error associated with not very high-quality reagents.

A person who is Rh negative may have the Kel protein in their blood, which can mimic Rh antigens. Such a protein exhibits the qualities of a positive Rhesus.

It is interesting that a person with such blood absolutely cannot be a donor, but only negative blood is allowed to be given to him. Therefore, you need to know that an absolutely accurate result for determining the Rh sign, as well as blood type, can only be provided by genotyping, which is the newest method of studying genes.

Exception to the Rule

A case where the Rh factor changed was nevertheless recorded, it turns out that this can happen. A change in Rh was discovered by Australian doctors in a fifteen-year-old patient after a liver transplant. The girl's immune system parameters have changed.

During organ transplantation, such a phenomenon can only be welcomed, because almost always there is an attempt to reject the transplanted organ by the recipient’s immune system, which poses a danger to life. To prevent this phenomenon, the patient is forced to take medications that suppress the immune system for a long time.

The situation with the young girl did not develop according to the usual scenario. After the liver transplant, doctors undertook all the required procedures, but after some time the patient developed a disease that caused a restructuring of the immune system. An examination after recovery showed that the patient’s blood somehow became positive of the first group, although before the operation it was the first negative. And the immunity indicators began to change, and as a result they began to correspond to the donor ones.

Doctors are trying to explain the possibility of changing Rhesus by transferring stem cells from a donor liver to the recipient’s bone marrow. As an additional factor that allowed the change in Rh and ensured excellent engraftment of the transplanted liver, the young age of the donor is accepted, due to which there was a very low level of leukocytes in his blood.

However, today this fact is isolated. Nowhere else have doctors recorded another case of such serious changes as a result of transplantation. In the case under consideration, the liver transplant caused an effect similar to the consequences of a bone marrow transplant. It is noted that the girl’s condition is so good that she does not even need frequent hospital stays. Regular consultations with a hepatologist are quite sufficient.

Cutting-edge science on rhesus reversal

Not a sensation yet, but somewhere nearby. Scientists at the Brazilian institution São João do Meriti, after many studies conducted among their patients who underwent spleen and liver transplantation, came to the conclusion that the protein found on red blood cells can change. Of course, this requires a coincidence of certain circumstances, but this conclusion indicates that a change in rhesus is possible during life.

Studies have concluded that almost twelve percent of patients are at risk of changing the polarity of the Rh factor due to transplantation. The change can occur in any direction, and the blood type does not change.

According to Dr. Itar Minas, the responsible specialist, the transplant results in a significant restructuring of the functioning of the immune system. This is especially noticeable in the case of transplantation of organs directly responsible for the synthesis of erythrocyte antigen. He explains this by saying that during the process of engraftment of a new organ, its stem cells can take over part of the hematopoietic functions of the bone marrow.

The result of this may be a change in rhesus, despite the encoding of the molecular structure of antigens at the gene level by the appropriate mechanism. According to the research team, the age of both the donor and recipient is of great importance. Brazilian doctors are confident that in younger patients the possibility of antigen modification is much higher than in older ones. In addition, they pay attention to the content of information about protein determinants in chromosomal loci and alleles, but their exact number has not yet been established. Presumably some of them allow a change in rhesus.

Thus, the still fantastic statements about the alleged change in the Rh factor are beginning to find scientific confirmation. However, the vast majority of such statements most likely still represent a common laboratory error.

Can your blood type change throughout your life? The concept of blood group and Rh factor

The 21st century is a time that requires strict control over your health. Due to polluted environment, poor diet, and stress, people increasingly began to seek help from a doctor. Blood type and Rh factor are those basic characteristics of the body on which human life in some cases depends (transfusion, organ transplantation, pregnancy and childbirth). Can your blood type change during your life?

This question is periodically raised on the Internet, but getting a definite answer is not easy. Some users write that this cannot be, while others are sure that changing the blood type is possible. Which one is right?

Blood type: what's the point?

Before you figure out whether a person’s blood type can change throughout life, it’s worth understanding what the essence of the classification of blood groups is.

Human blood is a unique biomaterial, which differs from person to person. Its characteristics are determined in the womb.

With blood we receive the set of genetic material that is passed on to us by our father and mother. Direct group determination is a process that detects the presence or absence of specific antibodies in the blood. They are called agglutinins and agglutinogens.

Blood type is a set of special antibodies that are present or not in plasma and cells. Red blood cells - erythrocytes - are capable of producing these substances. The main trigger for the production of antibodies is the presence of antigens. They are divided into two types - A and B. It is these substances that affect the blood group, which is taken as the basis for the AB0 blood group classification system. Due to their different combinations, scientists were able to identify four groups.

• 1 or 0 blood group. There are no agglutinogens in its composition, but at the same time, this type of blood has type A and B antibodies (agglutinins) in the blood plasma.
• Group 2 is designated “A”, this is due to the content of type A antigen. And there must be antibodies b in the plasma.
• Group 3 – antigen B and group A antibodies.
• Group 4 is a combination of two types of antigens - A and B, while there are no antibodies in it.

This classification is recognized throughout the world, but sometimes people simply have a poorly developed A-form. It is this fact that leads to the erroneous definition of the group.

Important! Blood type is not able to change during life, since it is a genetically embedded material that a person receives in the womb of the mother.

This feature can lead to accidents if compatibility is not checked in time. To correctly and accurately determine the group, doctors use special reagents to diagnose blood.

Rh factor

Can the Rh factor change throughout life? It is worth remembering that the Rh factor is an inherited element that cannot change. Only those people who do not know what Rhesus is have an erroneous opinion about this blood feature.

In world history, only a single case was recorded when a young 15-year-old girl had a change in Rh.

This happened after a liver transplant. She managed to find out about this change in blood only 6 years after the organ transplant. The girl suffered from an immune disease, during the treatment of which a change in Rh was revealed.

Doctors say that this could only happen for one reason - the donor’s liver contained stem cells that entered the girl’s bone marrow. Her body accepted these substances and launched new immune processes. An additional factor that influenced the change in Rh could be the fact that the donor was a young guy. His blood had a low number of white blood cells.

Can the Rh factor change? The answer for most scientists remains the same - no. This is a genetic trait that cannot change in a healthy person.

Rhesus conflict - what is it?

Rh positive or negative is an individual trait for each person. It does not affect your well-being in any way, but for a woman this fact is quite important if she plans to get pregnant.

The mother's body perceives the child as a foreign body, and therefore begins active actions to reject it. Antibodies are synthesized in the blood of a pregnant woman, which are aimed at destroying the red blood cells of the child.

At this moment, the level of bilirubin in his body increases, which negatively affects the formation and functioning of the brain. At the same time, the liver and spleen enlarge, since these organs of the child are forced to neutralize and utilize a huge number of dead cells. As a result of the destruction of red blood cells, the child suffers from oxygen starvation, which leads to death if treatment is not started in time.

Attention! The threat of Rh conflict arises only if the mother is Rh- and the father is Rh+. The probability of a conflict developing is 75%. In this case, the first child of this couple is often born healthy, but it is important that the woman does not have contact with positive blood before this.

If there was a miscarriage after a Rh conflict, then Rh sensitization is possible in 3-4%; with normal childbirth, the percentage increases to 10-15.

Prevention and treatment in case of likelihood of Rh conflict

In order to timely determine the risk of developing such a reaction in the mother’s body, she is recommended to donate blood every month until the 32nd week of pregnancy. When the period varies between 32 and 35 weeks, the analysis is carried out 2 times a month. Until birth, it is advisable to donate blood every week to determine antibodies. This is the only way to protect the health of mother and child in the womb.

Based on the level of antibodies, medical staff are able to diagnose the likelihood of a conflict developing. After labor is completed, blood is immediately taken from the baby to determine Rh. When the baby is Rh+ and the mother is Rh-, she must be given anti-Rhesus immunoglobulin in the first 72 hours after birth. This is the only way to prevent rhesus conflict during the next pregnancy.

Advice! Such prevention must be carried out even if the woman had an ectopic pregnancy, had an abortion, miscarriage or placental abruption. Serum administration is required if the woman has undergone manipulation of the membranes or platelet transfusion.

It is worth starting treatment if the number of antibodies in a woman increases rapidly. The expectant mother is necessarily placed in a perinatal center, where doctors constantly monitor her and the child.

Can blood type change during life due to pregnancy?

On various forums, women who were pregnant prove that their blood type can change due to their interesting position. Allegedly, before pregnancy they had a different group. All these are just further guesses.

A pregnant woman's blood type cannot change. Bearing a child and giving birth in no way affects the group and Rh factor of the pregnant woman. You can find out about another group because:

• Errors in previous analysis;
• Development of tumors in the body (oncology);
• Incorrect blood sampling.

Scientists have proven that a pregnant girl’s body produces a large number of red blood cells, but at the same time the concentration of agglutinogens drops sharply. Only in this case, during the analysis process, the expectant mother may be mistakenly diagnosed with the first blood group, while in fact she has 2,3 or 4.

Can your blood type change due to illness during your life?

The disease, whatever it is, changes the composition of the blood, but it is in no way capable of affecting the group. It’s another matter if valuable antigens are lost due to illness. Chemical processes in the blood are interconnected, so some types of diseases may affect the production of antigens and agglutinogens, but this still does not change the group.

Important! It is possible to mistakenly determine your blood type if the number of red blood cells increases sharply.

This condition can develop due to certain diseases. In addition, rare pathogenic bacteria and microbes are capable of producing enzymes that affect the composition of type A agglutinogens. Due to the pathological effects of such enzymes, type A turns into type B, which may show group 3 instead of 2. If a transfusion is done in such a situation, then an incompatibility reaction may occur.

There is a rare disease called Cooley's disease or thalassemia, which can reduce the production of antigens. Such a change in plasma composition may distort the analysis result. In this condition, patients are often assigned to the first group.

Oncological processes in the body can significantly affect plasma. Leukemia and hematosarcoma have a particularly pronounced effect on the number of antigens.

As a result, thinking that blood type can change is a delusion. Such distortion of the results is possible only in isolated cases, but the group does not change. However, it cannot be correctly identified due to minimal production of antigens or excessive production of red blood cells.

How do you get an incorrect test result?

Blood type is checked immediately after birth. A newborn child must undergo such an analysis. The standard group verification process is simple:

• Capillary blood is collected;
• The resulting material is transported to the laboratory;
• At the third stage, the group itself is tested using reagents;
• They issue a conclusion.

Even at these 4 stages, laboratory assistants are capable of making mistakes that could cost the life of the diagnosed patient in the future. In addition, the life of another person depends on the incorrectly indicated result if this patient becomes a donor.

• Most often, medical staff make a mistake when test tubes with blood are involuntarily confused. It costs nothing to swap them. Not all laboratory technicians approach the blood sampling procedure correctly and responsibly.
• No one has canceled the dishonest attitude of medical staff towards the process of processing and disinfection of test tubes.
• Collected materials are transported in containers so they can be mixed. Mixing of samples occurs, again, due to an unscrupulous attitude towards work.

At this stage, the possibility of obtaining an erroneous result remains. But a greater number of medical errors occur when directly studying the analysis. This happens for the following reasons:

• Incorrect addition of serum directly to the sample;
• Use of expired and low-quality reagents;
• Failure to comply with hygiene standards in the room where diagnostics are carried out;
• Inconsistency in temperature, air humidity or lighting;
• Use of outdated equipment;
• Human factor, inattention, fatigue.

There is no way to protect yourself from such “diagnosis,” especially if the analysis is carried out in a public medical institution. It is better to check your blood type in several laboratories. It is because of negligent medical staff that most people wonder whether the Rh factor or blood type can change.

Rare causes of errors

The group cannot change - this is a fact, but the so-called subtypes of the group can distort the result of the analysis. These are quite rare blood features that can only be diagnosed by modern methods of processing the material.

Such changes occur if:

• There are subtypes of type A antigen in the blood. To understand this feature, you need to know that each antigen has two types - A1 and A2. Both of these types are capable of sticking to foreign bodies in different ways, which leads to diagnostic errors in the process of diagnosing group 4. As a result, the agglutination reaction does not proceed properly, which leads to the appearance of a false group.
• Uncharacteristic clumping of red blood cells. When excessive agglutination of antibodies occurs, an autoimmune process develops in the plasma. Such a reaction may affect the result of the analysis. It is for this reason that a patient may become a false owner of group 4.
• Presence of erythrocyte chimeras. Doctors note such changes in the blood only in very rare cases. Often, such reactions occur in the blood of heterozygous twins who have not yet reached an early age. The appearance of erythrocyte chimeras is due to the presence of a large number of different populations of erythrocytes. When an analysis is carried out, different red blood cells may react, which leads to a false result.

Important! This factor is especially important, since during bleeding, when an urgent blood transfusion is required, the body of such a person can trigger a reaction of massive destruction of blood cells.

• The presence of a “false erythrocyte chimera.” This rare condition can only develop due to systemic diseases or due to the development of sepsis. The blood begins to thicken, which leads to the fact that red blood cells are not able to normally enter into the isohemagglutination reaction. In newborns, this occurs due to defective formation of red blood cells. This condition goes away with age.

If these conditions or diseases are diagnosed, then doctors should re-test. It is important to clarify information in time.

Can the Rh factor or blood type change during life? The answer is no, since this is a genetic feature of every person. It is only possible that the result will be distorted due to a number of diseases or errors by medical staff. The main thing is to carry out compatibility tests before transfusion, and for accuracy, repeat the analysis in another laboratory.

Can the Rh factor of the blood change?

Quite often the question comes up: can the Rh factor change throughout life? In order to answer it reasonably, you need to understand what the Rh factor is from the point of view of modern hematology.

The concept of Rh factor

The Rh factor is an innate hematopoietic indicator that depends on the presence or absence of D-antigen protein molecules, which can be located on the plasma membranes of erythrocytes.

Approximately 84% of the white population has this immunogenic protein, so their blood is called Rh positive and is designated Rh+. 16% of white-skinned people do not produce such a D-antigen and their blood is considered Rh-negative - Rh-.

The table below shows the percentage of people with Rh+ and Rh- among other inhabitants of the globe.

The presence of the Rh factor system in humans was discovered and proven, in the period from 1937 to 1942, by outstanding scientists - the American immunologist and infectious disease specialist Karl Landsteiner, his student Alexander Wiener, as well as Philip Levin and John Mahoney. For their research in this area, they were awarded the Albert Lasker Award for Clinical Medical Research in 1946.

To date, the existence of 50 different antigens of the Rhesus system has been proven, which can be located on the plasma membranes of human red blood cells, together or separately.

The most significant among them are D, C, c, CW, E and e. The term Rh factor (negative or positive) applies only to the D antigen.

Rh factor analysis

Rh positive or negative is determined during a special laboratory test of venous blood. Such an analysis can be carried out on a glass plane or in a test tube using various techniques:

• using a direct agglutination reaction in a special saline solution;
• with direct agglutination with special high-molecular amplifiers;
• with pre-treatment of red cells with protolytic enzymes;
• using the indirect antiglobulin Coombs test.

It is not necessary to take an analysis for the Rh factor on an empty stomach, but 2 hours before taking the sample for testing, you must avoid eating food, especially fatty foods, do not smoke or drink a lot of liquid, and also the day before - do not drink alcohol, cancel physiotherapeutic procedures and reduce physical activity. loads.

Important! When first determining Rhesus status, the reliability of the analysis performed must be confirmed and a secondary study must be carried out, subject to the same conditions and in the same medical laboratory.

Clinical significance of Rh status

In a person’s normal life or during the time when he is sick, the congenital Rh indicator has no meaning. This factor takes on special meaning in the following cases:

• in preparation for operations that may or will definitely require transfusion;
• before the planned blood transfusion of both blood and its components;
• during pregnancy - to establish the compatibility of the blood of mother and fetus;
• immediately after birth - with a diagnosis of “Hemolytic disease of the newborn”.

Rh factor during transfusion

For a harmless blood transfusion, it is necessary to carry out an analysis for the Rh factor of both the person who donates blood (donor) and the person receiving it (recipient). A reasonable question arises - why?

The most dangerous of all antigens in the Rh system is the D antigen. If a person whose blood does not have such antigens is transfused with blood containing them, the reaction of destruction of red blood cells starts - they begin to stick together into coin columns, which without immediate correction can lead to the development of transfusion shock and end in death.

At the moment, in the vast majority of cases, transfusion is allowed only if both the blood type and its Rh factor are fully consistent.

The immunogenic danger of 5 other significant antigens (C, c, CW, E and e) is significantly lower. They are determined when multiple transfusions are necessary for a person who has detected immune antibodies, and he requires an individual selection of donor blood.

In addition, about 1% of white-skinned people are carriers of weak variants of the D antigen, which are combined into the Du (Dweek) subgroup. A characteristic difference of this subgroup is that in such people the red blood cells are weakly expressed or never stick together in reactions during direct agglutination.

Therefore, today, the blood of absolutely all donors and recipients is required to undergo testing for the presence of Du. Donors with the Du antigen are classified as Rh positive.

If such blood is transfused into an Rh-negative recipient, severe transfusion consequences and an immune response are possible. But recipients with Du antigens are considered Rh-negative, and accordingly they are transfused only with Rh-negative blood.

Here is one example that can mislead ordinary people and suggest a change in the Rh factor throughout life. In fact, the Rh factor does not change in people with the Du antigen.

Rhesus and pregnancy

Being Rh negative in a woman can significantly complicate the relationship between mother and fetus and affect the course of pregnancy. A dangerous situation or Rh conflict arises only when the expectant mother has a negative Rh factor, and the child inherited a positive Rh factor from the father at the time of conception. But this situation is not a disaster and depends on 2 points:

1. What kind of pregnancy is there, how many abortions and miscarriages have there been before;
2. Does a woman produce antibodies and which ones?

Hemolytic disease in the fetus is caused by certain classes of antibodies, which, due to their small size, can penetrate the placenta and harm the development of the child. Therefore, if antibodies are detected in a pregnant woman, she will definitely be prescribed nonspecific treatment. This does not mean that she will be prescribed any medications and the Rh factor will be able to change for a while. Basically, this will be a course of vitamin-mineral complexes and medications that help relieve allergic reactions.

In severe cases, the plasmapheresis procedure can be used to cleanse the pregnant woman’s blood of antibodies. In particularly rare cases and if the necessary equipment is available, intrauterine blood transfusion in the fetus is possible. But these blood transfusion procedures will not affect the Rh factor, and it will not be able to change in either the mother or the fetus.

With the development of hemolytic disease of the newborn, the child is usually prescribed nursing therapeutic measures, but in especially severe cases, an exchange transfusion may be used, which can also become erroneous evidence of the statement that the Rh factor changes throughout life. Why?

For example, a newborn child with a positive Rh factor is transfused with Rh-negative donor blood, since the mother’s Rh-negative blood began to destroy his own even before birth. Thus, the child lives for some time with a negative Rh factor. But this does not mean that the child’s Rh factor changes forever. When the blood is naturally renewed, Rh will become positive again.

Change in Rh factor

Like the blood group, the Rh factor refers to such hemolytic indicators, which are established at conception at the genetic level and do not change under any external or internal circumstances. Again why?

The production of D and other antigens, or lack thereof, is encoded at the DNA level, and will be produced or not produced throughout a person's life. A change in the Rh factor is always caused by mistakes made by laboratory technicians during the study.

Blood is unique biologically active liquid, which is formed during the formation of the embryo. Its uniqueness is determined by the presence of the group and the Rh factor, which, in turn, indicates the presence or absence of special protein molecules on the surface of red blood cells. At normal conditions During life, blood cannot change, since its characteristics are fixed at the genetic level. Whether the blood type (BG) can change, and in what situations this happens, we will consider further.

There are only four GCs, which have their own distinctive characteristics. It is necessary to determine the group and Rh factor in order to eliminate the likelihood of complications and death if blood transfusion is necessary.

Under normal conditions, when a person is not stressed, does not get sick and does not have serious pathologies, BG does not change. This is due to the fact that it is DNA that determines the quantity and process of synthesis of protein molecules on the surface of red blood cells. It is impossible to influence in any way something that was formed long before birth.