GlycophorinA/CD235a

Glycophorin A (GPA), also known as CD235a, is the most abundant sialoglycoprotein on the red blood cell membrane. It determines the human MN blood group, and can maintain structural stability and prevent cell aggregation by regulating cytoskeleton and forming negative charge surface. CD235a is a specific biomarker of erythron, so it is often used in combination with CD71 for the diagnosis of erythroleukemia in clinical practice. Moreover, some research suggested that there are CD19+ CD235a+ cells in some patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia, which may be transformed from B lymphoma cells and can promote tumor development by inhibiting the activation of cytotoxic T cells. CD71+ CD235a+ cells are also found in gastric cancer patients, which may stimulate cancer cell proliferation and infiltration by inducing arginine accumulation. In addition, CD235a is negative in reactive splenic extramedullary hematopoiesis but positive in splenic extramedullary hematopoiesis caused by chronic myeloproliferative disorders, which helps to distinguish between them.