Photo: VCG

Medical workers in East China's Jiangsu Province discovered one rare case of type P blood, which is considered even rarer than "dinosaur blood" or "panda blood" subtypes. 

The discovery added a new case of rare blood types being recorded in history. According to the People's Daily, rhesus negative blood type, commonly known as "panda blood," accounts for about 0.4 percent in the Chinese population, and para-bombay phenotype, known as "dinosaur blood," accounts for about one in 10,000 to one in 100,000, while the frequency of P blood type is lower than one in a million. 

The extremely rare blood type has been discovered in Jiangsu. According to Cao Guoping, a doctor from Taixing People's Hospital, the results of gene sequencing in this case are not consistent with all reported P group gene mutations.

Currently, there are only nine recorded cases of p blood type in China. Data showed that there are five regular phenotypes in the P blood group system - P1, P2, P1k, P2k, and p.

In this case, it was confirmed that a nucleotide sequence that has to date not been found elsewhere in the world within the P blood group, a fact confirmed after Cao sent the sequencing results to the human gene bank in December 2023. 

Cao told media that the new discovery is of great clinical value. 

While the ABO and Rh groups hold utmost significance in blood transfusions, there exist 36 additional recognized blood groups. Each blood group possesses a unique blend of sugars and proteins known as antigens, which are present on the surface of red blood cells, according to an NHS explainer. 

With over 600 antigens, there is considerable potential for diversity among individuals. If an individual's blood contains uncommon antigens or lacks commonly found ones, they may possess a rare subtype, the NHS report noted. 

Global Times