Detection and clinical evaluation of antineutrophil antibodies in neonates who had a blood transfusion or exchange transfusion.
BACKGROUND
The aim of this study was to detect and investigate the clinical effects of antineutrophil antibodies in neonates who had received a blood transfusion or exchange transfusion.


METHODS
Venous blood samples were drawn from 34 neonates at pretransfusion (sample 0), immediately after transfusion (sample 1), 2-3 weeks (sample 2) and 8-12 weeks (sample 3) after transfusion. Ten healthy neonates were in the control group. Antineutrophil antibodies were detected using flow cytometric assay.


RESULTS
Antineutrophil antibody was detected in the sera of 20 (58.8%) neonates in the study group. Of these 20 neonates, nine had antineutrophil antibodies in serum samples 0, 1 and 2, which were probably due to the passive transfer of maternal antibodies. Nine neonates had antineutrophil antibodies in serum samples 1 and 2, which were probably due to neutrophil antibodies being present in the donor's blood. In two neonates, antineutrophil antibodies were not detected in samples 0 and 1, but appeared in sample 2, which were probably actively produced by the neonates. All of the antineutrophil antibodies disappeared in the serum samples, except in one neonate. Only one preterm newborn developed neutropenia, which resolved spontaneously in a week. The presence of antineutrophil antibody in transfused neonates was significantly higher than in non-transfused neonates.


CONCLUSIONS
The presence of neutrophil specific antibodies in transfused neonates is not rare and antineutrophil antibodies may be found more often in transfused neonates compared to non-transfused neonates. The clinical significance of those antibodies needs to be assessed since they are transient and their clinical effects are not evident.
Oren
Hale
H
Department of Pediatric Hematology, Dokuz Eylül University Faculty of Medicine, Izmir, Turkey. hale.oren@deu.edu.tr
Duman
Nuray
N
Anal
Ozden
O
Ozkan
Hasan
H
Irken
Gülersu
G
D000751:Anemia, Neonatal / Q000097:blood* / Q000628:therapy; D019268:Antibodies, Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic / Q000097:blood*; D001803:Blood Transfusion; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005078:Exchange Transfusion, Whole Blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D051556:Hyperbilirubinemia, Neonatal / Q000097:blood* / Q000628:therapy; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007235:Infant, Premature, Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male
D019268:Antibodies, Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic