Heredity and Distribution of the Rh Blood Types. ∗

Abstract

In a preceding paper 1 a theory of 6 allelic genes was proposed to account for the existence of variants within the Rh-positive type of human blood. The present communication is a preliminary report of investigations on the Rh blood types in families, and their distribution in different races, these studies having been carried out in order to test the 6-gene theory.

In Table I is presented, in simplified form, the 8 Rh blood types and their reactions with the 3 sorts of anti-Rh agglutinins, namely, anti-Rh (standard, and agglutinins, namely, anti-Rh (standard, and agglutinating the bloods of approximately 85% of white individuals), anti-Rh₁ (giving about 70% Positive reactions with bloods of white individuals), and anti-Rh₂ (giving about 35% positive reactions). Among white individuals approximately 95% fall into one of the 4 types listed in the left half of the table, while the 4 types in the right half of the table together make up only 5% of the population. For analyzing data, it is sometimes convenient to disregard the reactions of the standard anti-Rh sera, and in that way the two halves of the table are fused, giving rise to 4 classes, comparable serologically and genetically to the 4 blood groups. Obviously, each class consists of 2 distinct Rh types.

In Table II are summarized our findings to date on the heredity of the Rh blood types in 94 families (83 white, 11 negro). It will be seen that among the 274 children there is only a single apparent exception to the theory. In this case (a negro family) the mother was Rh-negative, her husband Rh', and the child Rh₂. However, it was also found that the supposed father belonged to type N and the child to type M, so that this was evidently an illegitimate child.