Three novel alleles in the Kell blood group system resulting in the Knull phenotype and the first in a Native American.

Background: Antibodies to Kell antigens can be clinically important but only limited data are published regarding anti-Ku. Missense nucleotide changes in KEL account for the numerous Kell antigens, the K(mod) phenotype, and even the K(null) phenotype.

Study Design And Methods: DNA and RNA were extracted from white blood cells and polymerase chain reaction-based assays, cloning, and sequencing were done using standard protocols.