[Screening of rare blood group Lu(a-b-) phenotype and study of its molecular basis in ethnic Han Chinese from Shanghai region].

OBJECTIVE: To study the frequency of rare blood group Lu(a-b-) phenotype in a population from Shanghai region, and to explore the molecular basis of Lu(a-b-) by detecting the Lu and Lu relative mediator gene EKLF/KLF1.

METHODS: Donors from Shanghai region were screened for Lutheran blood group by monoclonal anti-Lub using serological methods. Individuals with Lu(b-) were determined Lua, P1 and i antigens. Fifteen exons of the LU gene and 3 exons of the EKLF/KLF1 gene for the identified Lu(a-b-) samples were amplified and sequenced.

RESULTS: Ten Lu(a-b-) donors were obtained from 44 331 donors from Shanghai region. No homozygous or heterozygous mutations were found in the LU gene, whilst 7 mutations in EKLF/KLF1 gene were identified in the 10 samples.

CONCLUSION: The frequency of rare Lu(a-b-) blood group in Shanghai was approximately 0.02%, and all the individuals had an In(Lu) phenotype. The molecular basis of such samples may be related to mutations in the EKLF/KLF1 gene.