The Effect of Mother−Infant Rh Blood Group Incompatibility During Pregnancy on Postpartum Panel Reactive Antibody Development

Objective: In this study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between the development of Panel Reactive Antibody positivity and mother-infant blood group incompatibility, which affects the treatment chance and guides the treatment in cases such as organ failure and the need for transplantation in the later stages of life, based on the fact that Panel Reactive Antibody positivity is more common in women than in men.

Methods: The rates of Panel Reactive Antibody positivity (+) development from the postpartum blood of 86 prenatal Panel Reactive Antibody Negative (-) pregnant women whose serums were obtained for the study.

Results: As a result of the analyses, no statistically significant difference was found when the results of 61 (71%) mothers who were compatible with their babies and 25 (29%) mothers who did not match according to ABO antigens were compared. When evaluated according to Rh antigens, when 69 (80%) mothers with Rh compatibility with their babies and 17 (20%) mothers who were not compatible were compared, no statistically significant difference was found between the 2 mother groups in terms of Panel Reactive Antibody positivity against Class I antigens. A statistically significant difference was found between 41.2% (n = 7) percent in the Rh-incompatible mother group and 8.7% (n = 6) percent in the matched mother group in terms of the development of PRA positivity against Class II antigens (p = .003). When evaluated in terms of total PRA positivity, which was evaluated according to the condition of developing Panel Reactive Antibody positivity against at least one antigen group, a statistically significant difference was found between 41.2% (n = 7) percent in the Rh-incompatible mother group and 14.5% (n = 10) percent in the Rh-compatible mother group (p = .036).

Conclusion: As a result of our study, it was evaluated that mother-infant Rh blood group incompatibility is a risk for developing Panel Reactive Antibody positivity both against Class II antigens and in total Class I and Class II. It is seen that this study, in which we show the effect of Rh blood group incompatibility on the development of anti-HLA antibodies, will support the clinic, help organ transplant treatments and contribute to immunological studies before transplantation. 

Cite this article as: Akyüz, G., & Doğan, H. (2022). Gebelikte annebebek rh kan grubu uyumsuzluğunun doğum sonrası panel reaktive antibody gelişimine etkisi. Journal of Midwifery and Health Sciences, 5(2), 56-61.