Patent ID: 7553629
Filing Date: 2009-06-30
Classification: C12Q,G01N

Abstract:
1. A method for the characterization of an antibody or a preparation thereof said method comprising (a) testing the nucleic acid sample of a proband for the presence of a missense mutation in a nucleic acid molecule encoding a Rhesus D antigen contributing to or indicative of the weak D phenotype, as compared to the wild type Rhesus D antigen, wherein said missense mutation encodes an amino acid substitution in position 3 is from Ser to Cys, in position 10 from Arg to Gln, in position 16 from Trp to Cys, in position 114 from Arg to Trp, in position 149 from Ala to Asp, in position 182 from Ser to Thr, in position 198 from Lys to Asn, in position 201 from Thr to Arg, in position 220 from Trp to Arg, in position 223 from Phe to Val, in position 270 from Val to Gly, in position 276 from Ala to Pro, in position 277 from Gly to Glu, in position 282 from Gly to Asp, in position 294 from Ala to Pro, in position 295 from Met to Ile, in position 307 from Gly to Arg, in position 339 from Gly to Glu, in position 385 from Gly to Ala and in position 393 from Trp to Arg of the amino acid sequence encoded by SEQ ID NO:41; (b) correlating, on the basis of the mutation status and the allelic status of the RHD gene, the nucleic acid with the RhD antigen density on the surface of red blood cells of said proband; (c) reacting said antibody or said preparation thereof with a sample comprising cells carrying the RhD antigen on its surface; and (d) characterizing said antibody or said preparation thereof on the basis of the results obtain in step (c) by testing said antibody for specific binding to the RhD antigen on the cell surface which correlated with the weak D phenotype.