title: Prevalence of granulocyte antibodies in never allo-exposed female and male donors.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Foetal/neonatal allo-immune neutropenia (FNAIN) is a serious condition usually resulting from immunisation of the mother to paternally inherited neutrophil antigens of the foetus. Understanding the biology of female immunisation against neutrophils could help predict or prevent FNAIN.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To quantify differences in the prevalence of specific and pan-reactive granulocyte antibodies, between allo-exposed and never allo-exposed male and female blood donors.
  
  
  METHODS
  We previously reported the prevalence of granulocyte antibodies in healthy male and female blood donors. Here, we compare specific vs. pan-reactive antibodies.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of specific granulocyte antibodies was similar in male [1.0%; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.70-1.4] and female nulliparous blood donors (0.87%; CI: 0.029-1.7) and doubled after pregnancies (1.8%; CI: 0.52-3.0). In contrast, pan-reactive antibodies were almost three times less common in male (0.81%; CI: 0.50-1.1) compared to female nulliparous blood donors (2.3%; CI: 0.91-3.8) and were half as high after pregnancies (1.1%; CI: 0.58-1.7).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We found unexpected differences between male and female blood donors. Determining the clinical relevance of the pan-reactive antibodies requires further research, but none of the tested blood donors experienced any symptoms of neutropenia.
authors: Center for Clinical Transfusion Research, Sanquin Research, Leiden, The Netherlands.|Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors: Rutger A
authors: RA
authors: Middelburg
authors: Department of Transfusion Medicine, Sanquin Blood Bank, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors: Hans
authors: H
authors: Vrielink
authors: Department of Platelet and Leucocyte Serology, Sanquin Diagnostic Services, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors: Leendert
authors: L
authors: Porcelijn
mesh_terms: D000918:Antibody Specificity / Q000276:immunology; D001782:Blood Donors; D005260:Female; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D007518:Isoantibodies / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D007519:Isoantigens / Q000276:immunology; D000078224:Lenograstim; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D015995:Prevalence; D062486:Public Health Surveillance; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies
chemical_list: D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D007518:Isoantibodies; D007519:Isoantigens; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor; D000078224:Lenograstim
keywords: allo-exposed; female; granulocyte antibodies; male