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Background: Glycophorin variants of the MNSs blood group are important in Taiwan. For more than 20 years, screening for the most frequent irregular antibody, anti-‘Mia’, has been conducted by using ‘Mia’(+) RBCs, with a significant success. However, the sensitivity and the specificity of this screening strategy have never been validated, and the true incidences of different glycophorin variants in Taiwan have been in controversy. Also, the significance of another less frequent and usually separately reported variant, Sta, has never been evaluated. Methodology/Principal Findings: We ran a population-based screening (from unselected patients in our hospital) for MNSs blood group glycophorin variants by PCR-sequencing method. GP.Mur (Mil.III) was confirmed by sequence from 57 out of 1027 samples (5.6%), and there was no other Miltenberger subtype glycophorin variant found. Glycophorin variant Sta was found from 35 out of 1027 samples (3.4%). In contrast to anti-‘Mia’, which is the most frequently identified irregular antibody in Taiwan, the prevalence of anti-Sta was only 0.13% as determined by serologic method. In addition, two new alleles for Sta were found and reported. Conclusion/Significance: We confirm the long-standing assumption that GP.Mur is the only prevalent Miltenberger subtype in Taiwan. The current anti-‘Mia’ screening method used in Taiwan, although neither sensitive nor specific, is still a suitable practice. Although Sta antigen has a high prevalence in Taiwan, routine screening for anti-Sta is not warranted based on current evidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Glycophorin variants of the MNSs blood group are important in Taiwan. For more than 20 years, screening for the most frequent irregular antibody, anti-‘Mia’, has been conducted by using ‘Mia’(+) RBCs, with a significant success. However, the sensitivity and the specificity of this screening strategy have never been validated, and the true incidences of different glycophorin variants in Taiwan have been in controversy. Also, the significance of another less frequent and usually separately reported variant, Sta, has never been evaluated. Methodology/Principal Findings: We ran a population-based screening (from unselected patients in our hospital) for MNSs blood group glycophorin variants by PCR-sequencing method. GP.Mur (Mil.III) was confirmed by sequence from 57 out of 1027 samples (5.6%), and there was no other Miltenberger subtype glycophorin variant found. Glycophorin variant Sta was found from 35 out of 1027 samples (3.4%). In contrast to anti-‘Mia’, which is the most frequently identified irregular antibody in Taiwan, the prevalence of anti-Sta was only 0.13% as determined by serologic method. In addition, two new alleles for Sta were found and reported. Conclusion/Significance: We confirm the long-standing assumption that GP.Mur is the only prevalent Miltenberger subtype in Taiwan. The current anti-‘Mia’ screening method used in Taiwan, although neither sensitive nor specific, is still a suitable practice. Although Sta antigen has a high prevalence in Taiwan, routine screening for anti-Sta is not warranted based on current evidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Glycophorin variants of the MNSs blood group are important in Taiwan. For more than 20 years, screening for the most frequent irregular antibody, anti-''Mi(a)', has been conducted by using 'Mi(a)'(+) RBCs, with a significant success. However, the sensitivity and the specificity of this screening strategy have never been validated, and the true incidences of different glycophorin variants in Taiwan have been in controversy. Also, the significance of another less frequent and usually separately reported variant, St(a), has never been evaluated., Methodology/principal Findings: We ran a population-based screening (from unselected patients in our hospital) for MNSs blood group glycophorin variants by PCR-sequencing method. GP.Mur (Mil.III) was confirmed by sequence from 57 out of 1027 samples (5.6%), and there was no other Miltenberger subtype glycophorin variant found. Glycophorin variant St(a) was found from 35 out of 1027 samples (3.4%). In contrast to anti-'Mi(a)', which is the most frequently identified irregular antibody in Taiwan, the prevalence of anti-St(a) was only 0.13% as determined by serologic method. In addition, two new alleles for St(a) were found and reported., Conclusion/significance: We confirm the long-standing assumption that GP.Mur is the only prevalent Miltenberger subtype in Taiwan. The current anti-'Mi(a)' screening method used in Taiwan, although neither sensitive nor specific, is still a suitable practice. Although St(a) antigen has a high prevalence in Taiwan, routine screening for anti-St(a) is not warranted based on current evidence.

Background: The ABO blood type B(3) is the most common B subtype in the Chinese population with a frequency of 1/900. Although IVS3+5G>A (rs55852701) mutation of B gene has been shown to associate with the development of B(3) blood type, genetic and mechanistic evaluation for the unique mixed-field agglutination phenotype has not yet been completely addressed., Methodology/principal Findings: In this study, we analyzed 16 cases of confirmed B(3) individuals and found that IVS3+5G>A attributes to all cases of B(3). RT-PCR analyses revealed the presence of at least 7 types of aberrant B(3) splicing transcripts with most of the transcripts causing early termination and producing non-functional protein during translation. The splicing transcript without exon 3 that was predicted to generate functional B(3) glycosyltransferase lacking 19 amino acids at the N-terminal segment constituted only 0.9% of the splicing transcripts. Expression of the B(3) cDNA with exon 3 deletion in the K562 erythroleukemia cells revealed that the B(3) glycosyltransferase had only 40% of B(1) activity in converting H antigen to B antigen. Notably, the typical mixed-field agglutination of B(3)-RBCs can be mimicked by adding anti-B antibody to the K562-B(3) cells., Conclusions/significance: This study thereby demonstrates that both aberrant splicing of B transcripts and the reduced B(3) glycosyltransferase activity contribute to weak B expression and the mixed-field agglutination of B(3), adding to the complexity for the regulatory mechanisms of ABO gene expression.

Macroporous chitosan spheres encapsulating superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles were synthesized by a facile and effective one-step fabrication process. Ferro-gels containing ferrous cations, ferric cations and chitosan were dropped into a sodium hydroxide solution through a syringe pump. In addition, a sodium hydroxide solution was employed for both gelation (chitosan) and co-precipitation (ferrous cations and ferric cations) of the ferro-gels. The results showed that the in-situ co-precipitation of ferro-ions gave rise to a radial morphology with non-spheroid macro pores (large cavities) inside the chitosan spheres. The particle size of iron oxide can be adjusted from 2.5 nm to 5.4 nm by tuning the concentration of the sodium hydroxide solution. Using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction spectra, the synthesized nanoparticles were illustrated as Fe(3)O(4) nanoparticles. In addition, the prepared macroporous chitosan spheres presented a super-paramagnetic behaviour at room temperature with a saturation magnetization value as high as ca. 18 emu/g. The cytotoxicity was estimated using cell viability by incubating doses (0∼1000 µg/mL) of the macroporous chitosan spheres. The result showed good viability (above 80%) with alginate chitosan particles below 1000 µg/mL, indicating that macroporous chitosan spheres were potentially useful for biomedical applications in the future.