The Determination of Human-ABO Blood Groups in Captive Cynomolgus Macaques (Macaca fascicularis)

Abstract

In human, we can determine the ABO blood group by hemagglutination of red blood cell (RBC) with anti-A and anti-B antibodies due to the expression of antigen A/B on the surface of RBC. However, in non-human primate, except for apes, the RBC does not express the antigen A/B on the surface, but synthesize and secrete the antibody A/B into the serum. Therefore, in order to determine the human-ABO blood type in nonhuman primate, the agglutination of human A and/or B red blood cells with the antibody in monkey sera under the light microscope is observed. In this study, the aim is to determine the human-ABO blood groups in cynomolgus macaques (Macaca fascicularis), one species among other nonhuman primates that do not express antigen A/B on the RBC surface. Seventy-two cynomolgus macaques (8->20 years old) reared at the Primate Research Unit, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, were used. The result showed that the ratio of O:A:B:AB of ABO blood group was 1.0:1.2:3.5:1.5 in 43 female monkeys, 1.0:1.6:6.0:1.0 in 29 male monkeys, and 1.0:1.3:4.3:1.3 in all monkeys. From this study, it can be concluded that most of cynomolgus macaques in our laboratory have type-B blood group.