title: Prevalence of anti-red blood cel antibodies in the serum and colostrum of mares and its relationship to neonatal isoerythrolysis.
abstract: The sera of 390 pregnant Standardbred mares and 409 pregnant Thoroughbred mares were tested for anti-red blood cell (RBC) antibodies. Of the Standardbred mares and Thoroughbred mares, 20% and 10%, respectively, had anti-RBC antibodies detectable in hemolytic or saline agglutination tests. Most of the antibodies were specific for the CA blood-group antigen of horses. Other antibodies were specific for the Aa, Ab, Aa, Ab, Da, Df, Ka, Ua, or Qa blood-group antigens. The occurrence of these antibodies in the serum and colostrum was compared for 268 mares. With 3 exceptions, whenever antibodies were found in 1 sample, they were found in the other. When a mare had antibodies to the Aa or Qa blood group antigens which were reactive at serum dilutions of 1:16 or greater, colostrum was withheld from that mare's foal. This practice seemed justified, because 1 foal which accidently received colostrum with anti-Aa antibodies developed neonatal isoerythrolysis. All other foals were allowed to nurse their mares' colostrum. None of them developed neonatal isoerythrolysis, even when anti-RBC antibodies were found for blood-group antigens other than Aa or Qa which reacted with the foals' RBC in in vitro tests.
mesh_terms: D000372:Agglutination Tests / Q000662:veterinary; D000818:Animals; D000906:Antibodies / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology; D000941:Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D001788:Blood Grouping and Crossmatching / Q000662:veterinary; D003126:Colostrum / Q000276:immunology*; D004899:Erythroblastosis, Fetal / Q000276:immunology / Q000662:veterinary*; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006734:Horse Diseases / Q000276:immunology*; D006736:Horses / Q000276:immunology*; D011247:Pregnancy
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D000941:Antigens