Introduction: According to a study by Neil A Zakai published in the Journal of thrombosis and haemostasis, “Blood type AB is associated with an increased risk of stroke that is not attenuated by conventional stroke risk factors and factor VIII levels were associated with 60% of the association. While blood type AB is rare in the U.S. population, it is a significant stroke risk factor and may play an important role in stroke risk in these individuals” (Zakai). This study illustrates the importance of knowing your blood type and the risk factors that come with it. It is very simple to determine your blood type and much harder to understand what a blood type actually means in terms of antibodies, antigens, immune responses, and blood transfusions. In NEW school we had the opportunity to determine our ABO Rh blood type, and, of course, I took the chance.
Purpose Question: What is my ABO and Rh blood type?
Hypothesis: If my blood has antigen Rh and only antigen Rh presenting on the surface of my red blood cells, then my blood will agglutinate when placed in anti-Rh antiserum, because the Rh antibodies in the serum clump around the Rh antigens that are presented on my red blood cells.
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| Typing Tray |
- 1 Lancet
- Blood typing tray
- 3 Plastic Toothpicks
- 1 Cotton ball
- 1 Bandage
- Bottle of rubbing alcohol.
- Tub full of Bleach-Water Solution
Infectious Sharps Bin
Lancets and sharps box - (1 drop of each) Anti A, Anti B, and Anti Rh Antisera
Procedure:
- Add a drop of each antiserum to each corresponding basins in the tray
Adding Antisera - Clean your index finger with rubbing alcohol on cotton ball to sanitize the area
- Use lancet to prick finger and squeeze blood out of the hole
- Use plastic toothpicks to transfer blood to basins one at a time, while mixing them and using a new toothpick for every basin
- Look closely at each basin and observe whether the blood is agglutinating.
- If it is agglutinating mark a yes in the column which corresponds to the type of antiserum your blood agglutinated with.
- Sanitize materials in bleach bath and dispose of lancet in sharps box
Person
|
Reaction With A (Y/N)
|
Reaction With B (Y/N)
|
Reaction With Rh (Y/N)
|
Blood type
|
Isaac
|
N
|
N
|
Y
|
O+
|
Conclusion: Red blood cells are similar but differ in that they have either have or don't have several antigens (proteins), and are classified by the presence or lack of three different antigens. Antigens are proteins that can be found on the outside of cells, including your red blood cells. Your blood contains antibodies (more proteins) that peruse the cells in your blood. When the antibody "sees" a cell with antigens that don't match the antibody signals for a lot of other antibodies to be produced. These antibodies are slightly different: they swarm around the foreign antibodies that didn't match the original antibody. This signals for the white blood cells to attack the pathogen. This process is part of both the innate and acquired immune system. So, if you get a blood transfusion with blood cells with antigens that aren't the same as the ones on your blood cells the process will be carried out on those blood cells. This causes many issues. But, there is hope: the blood transfusion does not have to be from a donor with a perfect blood type match because as long as the blood does not have antigens that your blood does not have, your antibody won't recognize it as different and therefore won't attack the foreign blood. My blood type is O+ because my blood agglutinated when exposed to to anti Rh antiserum. When my was blood introduced to to anti a, b, and Rh antisera, my blood only reacted with anti Rh antiserum. This means that the Rh antibodies in the Rh antiserum swarmed around my red blood cells because there are Rh antigens presented on the outside of my blood cells. And, since a similar reaction did not occur with the other two antisera, my blood does not have a or b antigens presented on my blood cells. Our results seemed completely conclusive and encountered no significant variables. Next time i would like to carry this lab out in a more sanitary environment and look at the results under a microscope to be absolutely sure of my blood type.
Works Cited
Zakai, Neil A. et al. “ABO Blood Type and Stroke Risk: The REasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) Study.” Journal of thrombosis and haemostasis : JTH 12.4 (2014): 564–570. PMC. Web. 16 May 2017.
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