Frequency of Alloimmunization Against D Antigen and its Titre among the RhD Negative Pregnant Women at Tertiary Level Hospital in Bangladesh

Abstract

Background: Rh alloimmunisation in pregnancy and blood transfusion The Rhesus (Rh) blood group system was discovered by Landsteiner and Wiener in 1940. It happens when an RhD-negative mother's blood is exposed to RhD-positive RBCs, causing an immune response and the production of antibodies against RhD-positive cells.

Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in the Department of Transfusion Medicine at tertiary level hospital in Dhaka, Bangladesh from August 2023 to July 2024. A total of 51 Participant wore enrolled in this study according to inclusion exclusion sampling and a semi-structured questionnaire. The study was carried out over the course of one year, following protocol approval from the Institutional Review Board (IRB).

Results: Nearly one thrid of the participants, 15 (29.4%), had detectable antibodies, while the remaining 36 (70.6%) participants did not. Almost 1/3, 5 (33.3%), of the participants had an antibody titre ratio of 1:2. 3 (20%) participants had a titre ratio of 1:16. 2 (13.3%) participants each had titres of 1:4 and 1:8, respectively. 1 (6.7%) participant had a titre of 1:32, and another 1 (6.7%) participant had a titre of 1:64. The highest measured titre was 1:256 for 1 (6.7%) participant.

Conclusion: The study on alloimmunization among RhD-negative pregnant women at tertiary level hospital in Bangladesh found that most women were aged 26-30 years and had B- negative blood. While antibody detection was more common in those with B- negative blood and B-positive husbands, the difference was not significant. In our country, the majority of the population has blood group B, so I observed a higher detection of antibodies in individuals with B negative blood group.