title: New laboratory procedures and Rh blood type changes in a pregnant woman.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A woman's candidacy for Rh immune globulin depends on whether her blood type is Rh-positive (D antigen-positive) or Rh-negative (D antigen-negative). New molecular blood-typing methods have identified variant D antigens, which may be reported as Rh-positive or Rh-negative depending on the laboratory method. We describe a case illustrating the effect of the new laboratory methods on a woman's candidacy for Rh immune globulin and present recommendations for interpreting the new test results.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 40-year-old woman presented for management of her third pregnancy. During her first pregnancy, she was typed as Rh-positive ("D") and did not receive Rh immune globulin. During her second pregnancy, she was typed as Rh-negative, in accordance with revised Rh-typing procedures. Anti-D antibody was detected. During her third pregnancy, she was genotyped as a partial D antigen, which was reported as Rh-negative.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Revisions in laboratory procedures for Rh typing may present as a change in the Rh blood type of pregnant women-and as a change in their eligibility for Rh immune globulin.
authors.affiliation: From Georgetown University Hospital, Washington, DC.
authors.forename: S Gerald
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Sandler
authors.forename: Wenping
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Al
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Langeberg
authors.forename: Helain J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Landy
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007159:Immunologic Tests; D011247:Pregnancy; D011250:Pregnancy Complications, Hematologic / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012203:Rh Isoimmunization / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012204:Rh-Hr Blood-Group System / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D018029:Rho(D) Immune Globulin / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D012204:Rh-Hr Blood-Group System; D018029:Rho(D) Immune Globulin