The Incidence and Effects of Alloimmunization in Pregnancy During the Period 2000 – 2013

Abstract

Introduction The objective of the analysis was to examine the epidemiological aspects of maternal alloimmunization and to determine the most common antibody specificities resulting in hemolytic disease of the newborn (HDN).

Materials and Methods The retrospective epidemiological study encompasses all pregnant women who underwent immunohematological screening and the newborn treated for HDN in the period from 2000 to 2013 in the Herzegovina region.

Results The indirect Coombs test (ICT) detected antibodies against antigens in 384 (2.4%) pregnant women of the 18 800 who were tested at the Department of Transfusion Medicine. The direct Coombs test (DCT) detected antibodies against antigens in 160 (0.8%) newborn treated for HDN. The results of our 13-year study, in which 60% of the pregnant women had non-RhD antibodies, confirms this finding.

Conclusion However, we have reached the 21st century and the burden of alloimmunisation in pregnancy is still on our backs. The problem of immunization and HDN is still present in our region, which is a neonatal and public health problem.

Zusammenfassung

Einführung Das Ziel dieser Analyse war die Untersuchung von epidemiologischen Aspekten der häufigsten Antikörperspezifitäten, die zu einem Morbus haemolyticus neonatorum (MHN) führen können.

Methode Die retrospektive Studie umfasste alle Schwangeren, bei denen im immunhämatologischen Screening ein erythrozytärer Antikörper entdeckt wurde, sowie Neugeborene, die im Zeitraum von 13 Jahren (2000 – 2013) in der Region Herzegowina wegen MHN behandelt wurden.

Ergebnisse Der indirekte Coombs-Test (ICT) war positiv bei 384 (2,4%) von insgesamt 18 800 an der Abteilung für Transfusionsmedizin getesteten Schwangeren. Der direkte Coombs-Test (DCT) war positiv bei 160 (0,8%) der Neugeborenen, die wegen MHN behandelt wurden. Das Ergebnis der 13-jährigen Untersuchung zeigte, dass 60% der Schwangeren Anti-Rh-D-Antikörper haben.

Schlussfolgerung Das Immunisierungsproblem und MHN sind weiterhin erheblich vorhanden in der Region Herzegowina, was ein neonatales und öffentlich-gesundheitliches Problem darstellt.

Key words

newborn - hemolytic disease - sensitization

Schlüsselwörter

Neugeborene - Morbus haemolyticus neonatorum - Antikörperspezifitäten

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