An Introduction to My Theory
It is commonly known that Hemolytic or Rh Disease can occur in
an incompatible Rh-Negative Pregnancy. Let's explore why!
A person's Rh-factor is classified according to the presence of a protein on the surface of the red blood cells (RBC's) that indicate the Rh-factor. If you DO carry this protein then you are classified as Rh-positive (Rh+) and if you DO NOT carry this protein; you are classified as Rh-Negative (Rh-).
So what about the person who is Rh(+/-)?
While researching my Rh-Negative origin, my mother became ill and began to experience chronic and migrating pain and inflammation. It seemed her conditions were a mystery even to her physicians and I had just learned the phrase HLA-B27 positive. This genetic marker; HLA-B27 is highly recognized as being associated with certain Rheumatic and Inflammatory Autoimmune Conditions, which I could easily relate to members in my own family. The deeper my research became while investigating my family origin in relationship to my rare blood type; the more I noticed that I was continuously coming across similar information, statistics, geographical similarities and other associations between Rh-Negative Individuals and many of the various Autoimmune Conditions. I was convinced this HLA-B27 gene was the culprit of my mother's mystery conditions and we approached her doctor to have her tested. The condition is so rare, I literally had to explain it to her doctor and to his surprise, as the gene marker is had by less than 8% of the population, I was correct, she was positive. We have since tracked it down through at least five generations of our family.
Autoimmune Conditions are disorders in which the primary cause is an inflammatory reaction
is caused by the body's own immune system attacking the body's own tissues.
After explaining this, I hope my theory will be easier to understand. First of all, I believe there should be at least 3 final Rh-Factor Blood Classifications; Rh-Positive (Rh+/+), Rh-Negative (Rh-/-) and Rh-Recessive (Rh+/-). This being said and considering the response of an Rh-Negative mothers natural biological autoimmune response to an Rh+ fetus; I believe that there can be an imbalance or dis-ease of the human condition when there is an incompatibility within the body itself. We have established that the Rh-Negative factor can be recessive, but it does not disappear. Where do those Rh-Negative cells, the ones without that Rh-Protein go to hide within the body?
This incompatibility I believe, may result in Autoimmune Conditions;
as the body just does not recognize all of its own parts!
Obviously the recessive Rh-Negative blood cells do not just morph into Rh-Positive blood cells. If that happened, a parent would not have them to pass down from their recessive gene pool. So, where do they go and what happens when they come out of hiding? Could it cause an autoimmune reaction? We can deduct logically, that since an Rh- Recessive people do, in fact, live beyond childbearing years and into old age; that their Rh-Negative RBC's did not ever attack and rupture their Rh-Positive RBC's and take over the system. If that had happened, they probably would have died and would not test Rh-Positive.
What happens if those recessive Rh-Negative RBC's are triggered by something? Maybe an infection, something environmental or systemic can trigger this recessive part of the body and allow it to come alive with a vengeance. If our immune response is strong it would attempt to destroy, as an intruder or foreign object, a fetus created with half of our very own genetic material...what might it do against the half of its own body; if it sees it as an intruder as well. When you add this theory to the relationship of Rh-Negatives and HLA-B27-Positives, the big picture starts to form!