What is anti-D immunoglobulin?
Anti-D immunoglobulin is an antibody towards a common human antigen present on red blood cells. Only some people have this antigen, known as D-antigen or Rhesus antigen. Anti-D immunoglobulin is used to prevent health problems arising from a negative woman Rhesus carrying a fetus that is positive on rhesus. The immune system of a pregnant woman can recognize fetal cells as foreign to and attack. Negative Rhesus people who had blood transfusion rhesus can also be administered by anti-D immunoglobulin.
Human red blood cells bear protein signals on the cell surface. One of these groups is the Rhesus and D-antigen Group is the most important antigen of this group. In medicine there are people who have D-antigen and whose cells contain a group of rhesus, known as Rhesus positive.
When a woman who is rhesus is negative, her fetus can be rhesus positive or negative, because she gets some of her genes from her father. Some of the fElastic cells can enter the mother's blood, which may lead to an anti-D immunoglobulin as part of the overall immune response to these cells. This process is known as sensitization. Sensitization is most likely in the first pregnancy and the risk decreases with each pregnancy.
Anti-D Mother's antibodies can cross the placental barrier and get into the bloodthirsty system of the fetus. The antibodies bind to the blood cells and remove them from the circulation. This can lead to fetal anemia. The consequences of fetal anemia may include fetal heart failure, swelling and death. A child born with anemia may also have jaundice that, if not treated, can cause brain damage.
Anti-D immunoglobulin is given by Rhesus negative mothers as a preventive measure in the third trimester or in cases where fetal cells most likely have crossed the parent circulation. MThese cases include women who had abdominal trauma or invasive procedures such as amniocentesis. Sometimes there is no known reason why fetal cells have crossed the mother's circulation. The treatment can also be administered after delivery.
Anti-D immunoglobulin is also used after abortion or abortion. Negative Rhesus people who had Rhesus positive blood transfusion also need anti-D treatment. Medical anti-D immunoglobulin is cleaned of blood donations. The plasma component of the blood contains anti-D. The antibody is injected into the muscle or intravenously.