Abstract: Objective To analyze the serological and molecular characteristics of ABO subgroups among blood donors in Wuxi. Methods A total of 19 samples from blood donors between May 2016 and June 2019 were preliminarily identified as ABO subgroup using serological testing. Fourteen samples were identified using molecular biology techniques, 11 of which were identified by both Polymerase Chain Reaction Sequence-specific Primer (PCR-SSP) and DNA sequencing and the other 3 samples were only identified by DNA sequencing. Results Among 120 118 blood donors, the frequency of ABO subgroup using serologic testing was approximately 1.6/10 000, and the number of B subgroup was more than that of A subgroup. Nine ABO mutant alleles, including Ael02, A201, Bw27, Bel03, Bw22, B310, A217, cisAB01, B(A)02 were found. Moreover, no mutation in 3 samples were charactered in exon 1-7 of the ABO gene, and a new allele was found (GenBank: MT281528). Conclusion A combination of serologic testing, PCR-SSP and DNA sequencing can more accurately identify ABO subgroups.

Key words: Blood donor, ABO subgroup, Gene mutation, New allele