IgG titer, subclass, and light‐chain phenotype of pregnancy‐induced HPA‐5b antibodies that cause or do not cause neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia

BACKGROUND: The most common pregnancy-induced platelet-specific antibody is HPA-5b. Neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia that results from anti-HPA-5b may cause severe hemorrhage in only a few infants, but the sequelae for the affected children can be severe. It is therefore essential that infants at risk for neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia are identified. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: The IgG titer, subclass, and light-chain composition of pregnancy-induced anti-HPA-5b were determined by the monoclonal antibody-specific immobilization of platelet antigens assay. Sera were from 12 mothers, who among them had 16 pregnancies that resulted in an HPA-5-mismatched fetus (positive for HPA-5b). Eight mothers gave birth to an infant with a normal platelet count. Three maternal sera were obtained after delivery of a severely thrombocytopenic infant. Three alloimmunized women were followed repeatedly during the course of a subsequent pregnancy, again with an HPA-5-mismatched infant. RESULTS: There was no difference in the antibody titer or its subclass in mothers who had a thrombocytopenic child and the titer or subclass in mothers compared with those who had a child with a normal platelet count. All pregnancy-induced HPA-5b antibodies were of a predominant, lambda, light-chain type. The IgG subclass did not change during pregnancy. CONCLUSION: Neither the antibody titer nor the subclass composition predict the occurrence of thrombocytopenia in a newborn whose mother is alloimmunized against HPA-5b.