Prevalence of Rhesus C and D Alloantibodies among Rhesus-Negative Women of Child Bearing Age at a Tertiary Hospital in South-West Nigeria.

BACKGROUND

A major cause of hemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn (HDFN) is an incompatibility of the Rhesus (Rh) blood group between the mother and fetus.

AIM

To determine the prevalence of Rh c and D alloantibodies among Rh-negative women of childbearing age (18-49 years). We conducted a cross-sectional study among women who attended the antenatal, gynecology and blood donor clinics at a Tertiary Hospital in South-West Nigeria from January to August 2019. Serological typing of Rh c and D was done manually with the tube test using anti-c and anti-D antisera, while indirect antiglobulin test was then performed to screen for Rh antibodies.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

Data was analyzed using Stata 16.1 software; Categorical data was summarized using frequency and percentages while continuous variables were described using the mean and standard deviation or median and interquartile range. Pearson's Chi-square (or Fisher's exact) test was used to test for association between categorical variables and Rh status. P values of ≤0.05 were assumed to be statistically significant.

RESULTS

A total of 700 consenting women, comprising 505 pregnant (72.1%) and 195 non-pregnant (27.9%) women were recruited into this study. The mean age was 30.7 ± 4.9 years. All (100%) participants were Rhc positive while 641 (91.6%) were RhD positive and 59 (8.4%) were RhD negative. All 59 RhD negative subjects tested negative for anti-D. There was no statistically significant difference between proportion of RhD-negative women who had a jaundiced baby and the proportion of RhD-positive women who had a jaundiced baby (15.6% vs. 18.6%, P = 0.540).

CONCLUSIONS

This study did not identify any Rhc and D alloantibodies in the study population suggesting there is a low risk of alloimmunization and HDFN due to anti-Rhc and D in this population.