Antenatal platelet antibody testing by flow cytometry--results of a pilot study

Maternal platelet antibodies can cause fetomaternal alloimmune thrombocytopenia (FMAT), which has significant mortality and morbidity even in a first pregnancy. Prenatal diagnosis of FMAT has not previously been possible in the first affected pregnancy.

Using flow cytometry, a sensitive, inexpensive test for the detection of platelet antibodies has been developed. It was adapted for use as a possible antenatal screening test, and 600 pregnant women were tested in a pilot study.

In the study group, two women tested positive for platelet-specific IgG antibodies, one for anti-HPA-1a and the other for anti-HPA-1a with anti-HLA. In each case, the fetus was found to be affected in utero, and treatment was initiated before successful delivery. Another woman was shown to have a platelet-reactive autoantibody without IgG specificity, and her infant was unaffected. A total of 95 (15.8%) of the women tested had HLA antibodies alone, and the majority demonstrated IgG specificity. On follow-up of 62 infants born to these women, none had thrombocytopenia; thus HLA antibodies were not shown to lead to FMAT in this study.

The flow cytometry-based test for platelet antibodies can detect clinically significant maternal antibodies, and it may be that early diagnosis and treatment in utero can enhance outcome in FMAT. A population screening program is planned to determine the predictive power of this test, in addition to its sensitivity, specificity, and efficiency.