title: HPA-1 carrier status and thrombocytopenia in preterm infants with a birth weight below 1500 grams.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In cohorts of infants with proven neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia (NAIT) an unusual high rate of preterm infants has been reported, raising the question of whether NAIT contributes to the high rate of intracranial hemorrhage in preterm infants.
  
  
  METHODS
  We genotyped the HPA-1-allele in a large cohort of term (n = 205) and very low birth weight infants (VLBW-infants, n = 299) with polymerase-chain-reaction and restriction enzyme digestion.
  
  
  RESULTS
  HPA-1a/b is the only fetal HPA-1-genotype in which alloimmunization and NAIT could occur. Genotype distribution did not differ between term and VLBW-infants (p = 0.26). Furthermore, neither HPA-1a/b genotype nor platelet count at birth were of significant prognostic value in predicting subsequent intracranial haemorrhage or death in VLBW-infants (p = 0.93 and p = 0.19 respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data did not support the hypothesis that routine screening of preterm infants or their mothers for HPA-1-genotype is of additional value in the care of these infants.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Lübeck, Germany. goepel@paedia.ukl.mu-luebeck.de
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Göpel
authors.forename: Kirstin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fehlau
authors.forename: Martina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kohl
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schultz
authors.forename: Jens
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Möller
mesh_terms: D016824:Antigens, Human Platelet / Q000235:genetics*; D002543:Cerebral Hemorrhage / Q000209:etiology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D019102:Infant, Very Low Birth Weight; D039661:Integrin beta3; D007518:Isoantibodies; D013921:Thrombocytopenia / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D016824:Antigens, Human Platelet; C061248:ITGB3 protein, human; D039661:Integrin beta3; D007518:Isoantibodies; C083451:human platelet antigen 1b