ABO blood group system A-type blood, with A2 making up almost all of the rest. These two subgroups are not always interchangeable as far as transfusion is concerned, as some A2 individuals produce antibodies against the A1 antigen. Complications can sometimes arise in rare cases when typing the blood. With the development of DNA sequencing, it has been possible to identify a much larger number of alleles at the ABO locus, each of which can be categorized as A, B, or O in terms of the reaction to transfusion, but which can be distinguished by variations in the DNA sequence. There are six common
Rh blood group system Rh blood group system The Rh blood group system is one of thirty-five known human blood group systems. It is the second most important blood group system, after the ABO blood group system. The Rh blood group system consists of 49 defined blood group antigens, among which the five antigens D, C, c, E, and e are the most important. There is no d ("little d") antigen. Rh(D) status of an individual is normally described with a "positive" or "negative" suffix after the ABO type. e.g. Someone who is A Positive has the A antigen and the Rh(D) antigen, whereas