<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>Autoimmune hemolytic anemia in pregnancy is a rare cause of hemolytic disease of the newborn. This report describes a neonate with a mild hemolytic process and a positive direct antiglobulin test (DAT) presenting as the first manifestations of a maternal warm-reactive autoantibody. A full-term male neonate, blood group O, had a strongly positive DAT and laboratory evidence suggestive of a mild hemolytic process. The neonate’s mother was also group O and had a negative antibody screen. Umbilical cord blood testing revealed a panreactive eluate though the antibody was not detected in cord serum. The neonate’s mother was also found to have a positive DAT. A panagglutinin was identified in an eluate of her red cells, although the autoantibody could not be detected in her serum by a variety of sensitive techniques. There was no clinical or laboratory evidence of maternal hemolysis. <bold><italic>Immunohematology</italic></bold> 1997;13:6–8.</p></abstract>

Autoimmune hemolytic anemia in pregnancy is a rare cause of hemolytic disease of the newborn. This report describes a neonate with a mild hemolytic process and a positive direct antiglobulin test (DAT) presenting as the first manifestations of a maternal warm-reactive autoantibody. A full-term male neonate, blood group O, had a strongly positive DAT and laboratory evidence suggestive of a mild hemolytic process. The neonate’s mother was also group O and had a negative antibody screen. Umbilical cord blood testing revealed a panreactive eluate though the antibody was not detected in cord serum. The neonate’s mother was also found to have a positive DAT. A panagglutinin was identified in an eluate of her red cells, although the autoantibody could not be detected in her serum by a variety of sensitive techniques. There was no clinical or laboratory evidence of maternal hemolysis. Immunohematology 1997;13:6–8.

A maternal warm-reactive autoantibody presenting as a positive direct antiglobulin test in a neonate

Immunohematology

Autoimmune hemolytic anemia in pregnancy is a rare cause of hemolytic disease of the newborn. This report describes a neonate with a mild hemolytic process and...

A maternal warm-reactive autoantibody presenting as a positive direct antiglobulin test in a neonate

Published Online: Nov 09, 2020

Page range: 6 - 8

DOI: https://doi.org/10.21307/immunohematology-2019-691

© 1997 T.D. W Illiamson et al., published by Sciendo