The immunologic profile of infants born after maternal immunoglobulin treatment and intrauterine platelet transfusions for fetal/neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether maternally administered intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIG) and intrauterine platelet transfusions (IUPT) for fetal/neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia (FNAIT) affect the development of the fetal immune system.


METHODS
The lymphocyte subset distribution of mononuclear cells of cord blood of 20 FNAIT newborns was analyzed by flow cytometry and compared with a control group of healthy newborns and a reference group treated with intrauterine erythrocyte transfusions (IUET) for hemolytic disease.


RESULTS
The percentage of monocytes, natural killer (NK) cells, ratios of mature and immature T cells and B cells, and resting or activated cells were not significantly different compared to the control group. In addition, the B-cell and T-cell populations showed a normal in vitro antibody production and T-cell proliferation when compared with the control group.


CONCLUSIONS
Antenatal treatment for FNAIT with maternal IVIG with or without IUPT is not associated with lymphocyte activation or premature maturation of the neonatal immune system.
Department of Obstetrics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands. c.m.radder@lumc.nl
Celine M
CM
Radder
Dave L
DL
Roelen
Ellen M W
EM
van de Meer-Prins
Frans H J
FH
Claas
Humphrey H H
HH
Kanhai
Anneke
A
Brand
D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D001805:Blood Transfusion, Intrauterine; D017252:CD3 Complex / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000166:cytology; D005315:Fetal Diseases / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000096:biosynthesis; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D007231:Infant, Newborn / Q000276:immunology*; D007518:Isoantibodies / Q000276:immunology; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D016131:Lymphocyte Subsets; D017713:Platelet Transfusion; D011247:Pregnancy; D016553:Purpura, Thrombocytopenic, Idiopathic / Q000628:therapy*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology
D017252:CD3 Complex; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous; D007518:Isoantibodies