What is the rhesus factor?

Rhesus factor, also known as RH Factor, is an antigen that exists on the surface of red blood cells in most people. People who have a rhesus factor are considered a "positive" (+) blood type such as A+or B+. Those who are not considered "negative" (-) blood type, such as "O-" or "ab-". The Rhesus factor is awarded the name of experiments carried out in 1937 by scientists Karl Landsteiner and Alexander S. Weiner. Their experiments included rabbits who, when they were injected with a red roof of the monkey Rhesus, produced an antigen, which is present in the red blood cells of many people.

Although there are at least 30 different systems for grouping blood types, most people are familiar with the ABO system that clumps blood into four general types: A, B, O and AB. Each blood type is usually further marked as positive or negative, which is a reference to the Rhesus factor of blood. More than 85% of people Jerh+.

factor and antigens RH

In fact, the blood grouping system includes more than 50 antigens found on the surface of red blood cells. These antigens are proteins that, when they are introduced into the body that does not have the same type, can cause the human immune system to respond by producing antibodies that attack proteins. The rh, rh+ and rh- factor usually concerns the presence or absence of one of these proteins- d antigen. Antigen d tends to cause a particularly strong immune response in people who do not have it.

There are two alleles or genetic variants of this antigen: d and d . A person who is RH- has two recessive variants, dd . Anyone with at least one d - dd or dd - Jerh+. As with most genetic properties, one allele is inherited from each parent.

type and pregnancy

Human type is generally the most important with regard to pregnancy. During pregnancy, it risks the risk of developing Rhesus's disease or haemolytic disease of the newborn, which develops in the womb of Rh-Woman, developing in the womb of Rh-Woman. Only rh- women risk that children have with this disease; Woman RH+ can carry RH-DROGHT without the development of this condition.

For a woman rh- to have a child RH+, the father of Rh+had to be. The man RH+ has at least 50% chance to pass the rhesus factor to the child; dd Father could pass either d or d his child. If the father is dd , there is 100% chance that the child will be RH+.

If the mother is RH- and the child is RH+, and if the baby's blood enters the bloodstream during pregnancy, work or childbirth, the Woman immune system could react by producing antibodies to prevent the child's antigens that are foreign to the female system. This means that a woman's body might naturally pRoll the antibodies that attack the baby's blood, causing the red blood cells to fall apart. The result of this incompatibility will not affect the mother's health, but it can affect the health of the child. Potential health problems include jaundice, anemia and brain or heart damage. In severe cases, RH may be fatal for the child.

sensitization

In order to protect against the rhesus factor, the body of a woman rh-woman usually becomes sensitized on d antigen. This means that its immune system was exposed to protein and began to produce antibodies to fight it. Rhesus disease is less likely to affect the firstborn RH+ RH+, because the blood of the mother and the child usually does not mix until work and childbirth. At that time, Er may have had no time to give enough antibodies to cause serious problems.

As soon as the immune system of the woman responded to the child's antigens by creating antibodies, howeverTky will be present in the mother's system for the rest of her life. The potential for RH disease increases with every subsequent pregnancy because the antibodies will be present throughout each pregnancy after their first time.

protection against RH

disease

There are preventive measures to protect against Rhesus and its effects. Women should be tested at the beginning of their first pregnancies to see if they are RH- and whether they are sensitized. Sensitization can occur not only through normal pregnancies, but whenever a woman and blood, including abortions, ectopic pregnancies and blood transfusions.

If the pregnant woman is RH- and has not yet been sensitized, the injection injection of the blood product known as RH immunoglobulin will usually be given for about seven months to pregnancy. This should prevent sensitization for the rest of pregnancy. Rh immunoglobulin shot trying to destroy any rh+ antigens produced by a child and present in the mother's krI will be able to create antibodies before the mother is able to create antibodies. In addition, it is generally recommended that the newborn be tested for its blood type rhesus.

6 RH immunoglobulin injections only last for a given pregnancy. The following pregnancy is likely to require separate injections of immunoglobulin RH. This treatment works to prevent RH in 99% of cases.

If a woman is rh- and has been sensitized, the injection will not help. Usually, careful monitoring of the child is carried out to ensure that the disease does not develop. Blood transfusions for replacing the cunning blood with healthy blood can be administered during or after delivery depending on the circumstances.

Blood transfusion

Although the RH factor is most often discussed with reference to pregnancy, it plays a role in other health matters. Like the female body, it may develop antibodies that attack her baby's blood, a patient who is rh- may have a transfusion reaction- an allergic reaction to the blood- if he receives blood fromRH+ positive donor. Such reactions are relatively unusual because the blood is proven for the RH factor and RH-pacient patients receive RH-red during the transfusion whenever possible.