Maternal alloimmunization to HLA, platelet and granulocyte-specific antigens during pregnancy: its influence on cord blood granulocyte and platelet counts.

In order to obtain an estimate of the frequency of platelet-specific and granulocyte-specific antibodies and of the effect of such antibodies on the platelet count and granulocyte count of the newborn infant, serum from 147 women in their second or subsequent pregnancies was tested. No platelet-specific antibodies were found but 29 of the women had granulocyte-specific antibodies and the corresponding infants had granulocyte counts which were significantly lower than those of infants without antibodies. HLA antibodies were found in the sera of 57 women but were not associated with diminished platelet or granulocyte counts in the corresponding infants.

Serum immunoglobulin concentrations in preschool children measured by laser nephelometry: reference ranges for IgG, IgA, IgM.

Serum immunoglobulin concentrations were determined on sera from 298 healthy children aged six months to six years using the Hyland laser nephelometer PDQ system. Age-specific 95% reference ranges for serum IgG, IgA and IgM are presented; considerable care has been taken to ensure statistical validity of the reference ranges. The wide range of values in children under two years suggest that measuring immunoglobulin concentrations in this age group is of little value in diagnosing immunodeficiency.