Sep 2, 2012, 04.30PM IST

INDORE: A patient with a rare blood group left doctors stumped at a city hospital on Saturday. Shabana Mansoori, a 26-year-around anaemic patient, has O+ blood but she could not be given blood from normal donors of the same group as tests revealed that Mansoori belonged to the rare "Bombay blood group" that didn't match with any of the other groups.

First identified in Mumbai, from which the group derives its name, so far it is said that there have been just 179 such cases reported in India.

Nearly three days back Mansoori, a resident of Barwani district, was admitted to a private city hospital with intensive bleeding due to pregnancy-related problems. Due to acute anaemia her haemoglobin was measured nearly six points. Doctors treating her checked her blood group and transfused O+ but it resulted into reaction.

Later they carried examined and found it was 'Bombay Blood Group'. "We checked her family blood group. Her sister's blood group has matched, which has saved her life. But, her condition is critical. We have checked all blood banks but unfortunately we could not get. She needs more blood to get stable," said Dr Irfan Qureshi, Consulting surgeon at Gurjar Hospital.

It is difficult to identify those with Bombay blood group. When screened, they are found to belong to O+ group, which is a regular one. But in these individuals, the antigen H is absent, unlike the vast majority with O+ blood. The latter generally have no antigen other than H but possess anti-bodies. Those with A blood group don't have the antigen while the reverse is true for those with B blood group. In AB, both antigens are present.

Source: http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-09-02/india/33548553_1_...