[Prenatal diagnosis of human fetal Rh blood group by heminested-PCR]

ABSTRACT

Background: The rhesus blood group antigen system is important in transfusion and clinical medicine, being involved in hemolytic disease of the newborn, transfusion reactions and autoimmune hemolytic anemia. Despite the widespread use of rhesus immunoglobulin prophylaxis in rhesus D [RhD]-negative mothers, rhesus immunization still occurs. Knowledge of the RhD status of the fetus is important in the clinical management, because no further diagnosis or therapeutic procedures are necessary if the fetus is RhD-negative. RhD antigen can be detected using a sensitive PCR-based assay. It was shown that RhD negative individuals lack the RhD gene