M and N specific hemagglutinins of human erythrocytes stored in glucose solutions.

Alloagglutinins of M and N specificites with unique characteristics found in normal sera are described. Specific M or N agglutination by these sera occurred only when erythrocytes had been exposed to glucose-containing solutions. Conversion to the form of MN recognized by these sera required incubation of the cells in 1 to 2% glucose buffered to physiological or alkaline pH and was dependent on time and temperature of exposure, occurring in hours at 37 C and in days at 4 C. The sera appeared to be detecting an antigenic structure in which interaction between glucose and the amino group of the N-terminal amino acid of the MN receptor has produced a new specificity, analogous to the action of formaldehyde on N receptors and the resulting N-like structure detected by sera from hemodialysis patients.