The ABO blood group is the phenotype of a person's blood as it emerges from genetic information. The four most common phenotypes are A, B, AB, and O, which refer to the type of antigen present on the surface of the red blood cells.
The type or group of Rhesus (Rh) refers to whether the Rh antigen is present (Rh positive) or absent (Rh negative) on the surface of a person's red blood cells. Routine tests usually involve searching only for the Rh0 (D) antigen. If Rh-negative patients receive Rh-positive blood, they will develop Rh antibodies, and future Rh-positive blood transfusions will trigger a reaction. In pregnancy, antibodies from the Rh-negative mother can cause hemolysis in the fetal red blood cells, which have inherited the Rh-positive antigen from the father (fetal erythroblastosis or neonatal hemolytic disease).
This test determines the specific ABC and Rh phenotype by determining which red blood cell antigens A and B are present and whether the Rh0 (D) antigen is present.
The determination of the Rhesus group is performed with the Blood Grouping (ABO).
