Context

A groundbreaking discovery has been made at the Rotary Bangalore TTK Blood Centre: a new human blood group antigen named CRIB. This antigen is the first of its kind identified anywhere in the world and has been officially recognised by the International Blood Group Reference Laboratory (IBGRL), UK.

What is the CRIB Blood Group?

CRIB stands for Cromer India Bengaluru. It represents a newly identified antigen within the Cromer (CR) blood group system, which had never been observed in any human sample globally until now. The antigen was discovered during blood testing of a 38-year-old South Indian woman undergoing cardiac surgery in Kolar, Karnataka.

How Was CRIB Identified?

The woman’s blood displayed a panreactive pattern, meaning it reacted with all tested samples and was incompatible even with O+ blood. Testing her family of 20 members failed to find a compatible match. The sample was sent to IBGRL in the UK, where after 10 months of detailed molecular analysis, the antigen was confirmed as new and officially named CRIB.

Scientific Importance

• CRIB is now officially recognised as a new antigen in global transfusion medicine.
• It has been named following the International Society of Blood Transfusion (ISBT) nomenclature.
• This discovery marks a significant contribution from India to the field of rare blood immunogenetics.
• It highlights the importance of rare donor registries and international collaboration for improved blood typing and transfusion safety.

Understanding the Cromer Blood Group System

The Cromer system is a rare blood group classification defined by antigens located on the Decay-Accelerating Factor (DAF) protein on red blood cells. These antigens play a crucial role in immune responses during blood transfusions, making their identification vital to transfusion medicine.

Source: TN