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1 in 6 Million people in this world are RHnull

1 in 6 Million people in this world are RHnull

 Rhesusnegative.net2
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Harrison started donating in 1954 and after the first few donations it was discovered that his blood contained unusually strong and persistent antibodies against the D Rh group antigen. The discovery of these antibodies led to the development of immune globulin based products to prevent hemolytic disease of the newborn (HDN). These products, which contain a high level of anti-D antibodies are given to Rh(D) negative mothers of unknown or Rh(D) positive babies during and after pregnancy to prevent the creation of antibodies to the blood of a Rh(D) positive child. This antigen sensitization and subsequent incompatibility phenomenon causes Rhesus disease, the most common form of HDN. Through the donations of his plasma, Harrison has helped prevent thousands of children from dying of HDN. This uniqueness was considered so important, that his life was insured for one million dollars after this discovery and the following research based on his donations created the commercial Anti-D immune globulin commonly known as RhoGAM. His blood plasma derivatives have since been given as treatment to one in ten pregnant women whose blood could potentially become incompatible with that of their children. His donations were estimated to have helped save over 2.4 million babies, with pregnant women, including his own daughter Tracey, being treated with his antibodies.

There are only 43 people known to have been RHnull, but the actual number is expected to be much higher.

From First Report of Known Rare Rhnull Phenotype Individuals in Iran:

“Rhnull phenotype is a rare blood group with a frequency of approximately 1 in 6 million individuals, transmitted via an autosomal recessive mode. It is characterized by the weak (Rhmod) or lack (Rhnull) of expression of all Rh antigens on the red cells. The clinical significance of its assessment is that such patients with Rhnull syndrome are associated with chronic hemolytic anemia of varying degrees. Another clinical importance is that such subjects readily form alloantibodies when exposed to Rh antigens.We report herein a rare Rhnull phenotype in a sibling, which was detected as a part of the difficult sample work-up for red cell antibody screening and identification.”

Considering our current world population of 7,714,576,923 people (2019 estimate), 1 in 6 Million individuals being RHnull would come to

around 1,286 people worldwide being RHnull.

We expect the 1 in 6 Million number to be a decent estimate, but consider more accurate data being needed also reflecting local antigen frequencies and likelihood of 2 people meeting in those regions able to and actually producing offspring turning out to be RHnull.

Some additional information in this video:

See also:

What is RHnull?

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Rhesusnegative.net

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2 Comments

  1. Gerry Matthews December 10, 2021

    James Harrison is not Rhnull (Rh deficiency syndrome). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Harrison_(blood_donor)

    He is sometimes described as “the man with the golden arm”, which is not the same as the epithet sometimes used for people with Rh deficiency syndrome, “golden blood”. This rather silly phrase was coined by a haematologist as recognition of the fact that those who are Rh null can donate their blood to anyone with any Rh antibodies/missing antigens. Unfortunately as the quote from the Iranian case study states, “The clinical significance […] is that such patients with Rhnull syndrome are associated with chronic hemolytic anemia of varying degrees”, and hence don’t make good blood donors.

  2. Jeanette May 15, 2022

    I’ve got six adult children and have had a few interesting events around them all, as well as seven lost babies in the womb.In 1968 l birthed my fourth child at the age of 24. I’d survived various events with pregnancies but her’s was to be my worst. I’m D-neg Group A cde/cde. I’d had the Anti-D shots as with my first three babies, as with all six eventually, and back then, had no idea what they were for, assuming all mum’s had the same. I knew l had rare blood, but not that rare it needed special shots other mums didn’t get in pregnancy. At around eight months and three weeks, l swelled up and couldn’t put my boots on, in the coldest heaviest waist high snow. When l finally did, l couldn’t get them off. I was birthing at home, but my Doctor rushed me to hospital by ambulance. I’m never sick, but we had to stop to let me out in the snow to throw up. No explanation from my doc’, England in the sixties meant women were too thick to be told by their male doctors, anything about their own bodies. Our laws gave that right to husbands. Until it was changed in 1974, men owned us wives. We were not allowed to use birth control without their permission. Nor allowed surgery to sterilise or have hysterectomy. Which is why l had five by age 24. The pill almost killed me and it failed, the coil failed, and nearly killed baby and me at the birth. And l nearly died many times. Few medics even understood the Rhesus Factor. With baby four I found my vision blurring, the wallpaper pattern moved, a lot, and l’m lifelong teetotal. And l don’t do drugs, legal or otherwise. Allergic to everything. Anyway, l was in the middle of discovering my allergies in 1968, so had no idea why l’m now about to birth in hospital, and not at home. The doctor and nurses there couldn’t care less, it was Saturday, late, everybody wanted end of day. Nurses talked down to me, like l was a kid because l looked so young. Like a first pregnancy and l was a dunce. I got hopping mad and got dressed and said l was discharging myself, going home, birthing there, l knew my rights, and my body! That panicked them into action, and they decided to start me off, very roughly, crudely, with scissors like they were chopping lettuce, problem was, they did it badly. Both my first and last of six were boys. My middle four, all girls. My two boys started their own labours, and decided on their births too, even my first who was breech, suddenly did a massive somersault and literally turned right over and engaged in seconds., And arrived minutes later. While they’d been panicking on breech birthing him. So weird. I was seventeen then. With number two they used a needle in a tube to break the placenta, and with number three, born at home with a nurse named Hazzard (l kid you not) l had to have scissors used to cut the sac, was in labour 66 hours in 1966, by God the devil’s advocate was busy chasing me that time.. before they realised (doc had arrived) there was two sacs, one empty save for amneotic fluid, and thus labour just kept going, the sac with baby in couldn’t break. So doc’ cut it. And l needed three stitches. I’d conceived twins, one had died early on, the sac kept growing, filling up with fluid, as if it’s little ghost was still alive. This happened three times in pregnancies for me, my third, my fifth, and a different pregnancy between, three separate pregnancies, one set where both twins both died at 8 weeks and 12 weeks. The two where one survived, left one empty sac each, growing full of fluid. My sixth, late child,was the last to have a dead twin. With him they heard two heartbeats, strapped two monitors on me, God they hurt, heavy in labour. His heart was echoing through the empty sac. Anyway… Back to baby four, she was soon out at 10.15pm that Saturday. And l insisted on going home where l felt safer, with my GP called Doctor Pain (l know, shush🙄) it’s good l went home, l had Toxaemia, and would have died without him in my corner. Him and God. We both would have died. Baby was dying, Dr Pain told me after, he gave up. I didn’t. It was one of the times penicillin still worked on me, today, it would kill me, really odd my life.. doc came in twice daily and injected me. But couldn’t do anything for my baby, except entrust her to my care. He had faith in my mothering techniques. I knew she was dying too. I struggled to my knees and called God. I begged Him to let her live. I spent the night holding her. Talking to her, praying for her. Just her, me and God in that room. Bargaining with God. She was so ill, and l loved her already, like a lioness, “Let her live God, please, and l’ll come out, l’ll take the flak, l’ll ignore them all, l promise Lord, l’ll be your advocate for life, only let her live, please.” And He did. She took the breast, she cried, she slept, she was in my arms till Doc came in, in the morning, my other kids tiptoeing round us, fingers to their lips, ooing and cooing over her. “You saved her life mum, l thought she would die!” “You saved mine Doctor, so that l could, save her with God’s help! Thank you!” On my six week check up l had chest pains, thought it was my heart, he said “No, it’s a form of arthritis, not sure yet which one, but you’ll be in a wheelchair at fifty!” Well Dr Pain, whom l believe is now dead, lovely though you were, you’re wrong on that, l’m not, not yet, though l’m in agony walking. And it was and is Rheumatoid Arthritis. Immune deficiency condition, added to my blood issues. That daughter almost died again, with another doctor’s care aged four months, and again, God answered prayer, and let her live. And the doctor then was once again my childhood doctor, we moved home a lot, and he wasn’t surprised at all by my weird life, in fact, he shared a premonition with me, l’ll share that another time. But if you want to know how it feels being prone to NDEs because of Rhesus-D Negative blood, l have vast experience of surviving it! Apol’s if this is messy … I’m hurting, too much to edit. I need to stretch.

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