Rhesus phenotypes | Transfusion Medicine Service

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Rhesus phenotypes

All rhesus antibodies should be considered potentially capable of causing haemolytic transfusion reactions and haemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn.(1,2)

Classification of Rhesus Phenotype and Genotype
	Reactions with anti -					Phenotype	Probable genotype	Shorthand symbol	Approximate % frequency in Australia	Other possible genotypes
	D	C	E	c	e	Phenotype	Probable genotype	Shorthand symbol	Approximate % frequency in Australia	Other possible genotypes
Rh Positive	+	+	0	+	+	CcDee	CDe/cde	R1r	35.3	CDe/cDe cDe/Cde
	+	+	0	0	+	CCDee	CDe/CDe	R1R1	17.5	CDe/Cde
	+	+	+	+	+	CcDEe	CDe/cDE	R1R2	12.9	CDE/cde cDE/Cde CDE/cde cDe/CdE CDE/cDe
	+	0	+	+	+	ccDEe	cDE/cde	R2r	12.4	cDE/cDe cDe/cdE
	+	0	+	+	0	ccDEE	cDE/cDE	R2R2	2.4	cDE/cdE
	+	0	0	+	+	ccDee	cDe/cde	R0r	1.6	cDe/cDe
Rh Negative	0	0	0	+	+	ccdee	cde/cde	rr	16.7
	0	+	0	+	+	Ccdee	Cde/cde	r’r	0.5
	0	0	+	+	+	ccdEe	cdE/cde	r”r	0.7
Notes: Frequencies are based on blood group statistics of Australian blood donors; Cells giving a positive reaction with anti-C may be further subdivided by testing with anti-Cw; Other Rh genotypes may be found but all have a frequency of <0.2%.

References

Daniels G et al. The clinical significance of blood group antibodies. Transfusion Medicine 2002;12:287–295.
Reid ME et al. Summary of the clinical significance of blood group alloantibodies. Semin Hematol 2000;37:197–216.

Updated on 20 September 2010