b. Rh-Hr, CDE, and Numerical Terms.
(1) Two nomenclatures are currently used to express genetic and serologic
information. The Rh-Hr terminology derives from Wiener's work. He distinguished
genes from the observed antigenic specificities, asserting that the immediate gene
product is a single entity called an agglutinogen (haplotype), which is, in turn,
characterized by various serologic specificities. The CDE terminology was introduced
by English workers Fisher and Race, and reflects the original concept that individual
genes determine each antigen; the same letter designation is used for both gene and
gene product. It is important to be familiar with both nomenclatures. Figure 2-3 shows
the comparison of the Fisher-Race and Wiener systems. Table 2-9 shows the most
common frequencies or combinations of antigens, which are determined by allelic
genes or gene complexes.
Figure 2-3. Comparison of the Fisher-Race and Wiener systems.
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