[Antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity: a method of predicting the severity of fetomaternal alloimmunization in the Rhesus system? A retrospective study of 32 cases].

This retrospective study has as its object to find out whether A.D.C.C. has advantages over other techniques that are usually used, namely titres or levels of antibodies. There is no correlation between A.D.C.C. and the levels or titres of antibodies in the 32 cases that were studied. When the level of bilirubin at birth is taken as the criterion of the severity of the illness, A.D.C.C. is the only method that gives a significant correlation with the degree of severity of the condition of the infant (p = 0.01). If the need for treatment is taken as a criterion of the severity of the condition (ultra-violet light or replacement-transfusion), A.D.C.C. shows up as being the better technique. But if one only looks at very anaemic infants the significance becomes much greater (p = 0.001).