Question

What complications will arise if the blood of an Rh positive person is transferred to an Rh negative person and vice versa?

Answer 1

The Rh-factor or Rh-antigen was first reported in Rhesus monkeys RBCs by Landsteiner. Later it was found in most of the human population. A 85-99% of the population, depending on the race, have the Rh-factor, hence are Rh +ve. There is no antibody against Rh-antigen in the human body. The Rh-antigen is produced due to a dominant gene, hence Rh+v individuals are presented as RR or Rr with Rh-ve as rr.
Rh-ve blood can be given safely to a Rh+ ve individual. But when Rh+ve is transferred into a Rh-ve person, then during the first transfusion, there is no complexity arising because of the absence of Rh -ve antibody in the recipient's blood; but this transfusion induces the synthesis of antibodies in recipient's blood. In the case of the subsequent transfusion, more antibodies are formed which destroy the RBCs in the Rh+ve blood.