Alloantibodies to a paternally derived RBC KEL antigen lead to hemolytic disease of the fetus/newborn in a murine model

Blood. 2013 Aug 22;122(8):1494-504. doi: 10.1182/blood-2013-03-488874. Epub 2013 Jun 25.

Abstract

Exposure to nonself red blood cell (RBC) antigens, either from transfusion or pregnancy, may result in alloimmunization and incompatible RBC clearance. First described as a pregnancy complication 80 years ago, hemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn (HDFN) is caused by alloimmunization to paternally derived RBC antigens. Despite the morbidity/mortality of HDFN, women at risk for RBC alloimmunization have few therapeutic options. Given that alloantibodies to antigens in the KEL family are among the most clinically significant, we developed a murine model with RBC-specific expression of the human KEL antigen to evaluate the impact of maternal/fetal KEL incompatibility. After exposure to fetal KEL RBCs during successive pregnancies with KEL-positive males, 21 of 21 wild-type female mice developed anti-KEL alloantibodies; intrauterine fetal anemia and/or demise occurred in a subset of KEL-positive pups born to wild type, but not agammaglobulinemic mothers. Similar to previous observations in humans, pregnancy-associated alloantibodies were detrimental in a transfusion setting, and transfusion-associated alloantibodies were detrimental in a pregnancy setting. This is the first pregnancy-associated HDFN model described to date, which will serve as a platform to develop targeted therapies to prevent and/or mitigate the dangers of RBC alloantibodies to fetuses and newborns.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Anemia, Hemolytic / genetics
  • Anemia, Hemolytic / immunology*
  • Animals
  • Blood Transfusion
  • Cytokines / metabolism
  • Erythrocytes / cytology*
  • Female
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins / metabolism
  • Immunoglobulin G / immunology
  • Isoantibodies / immunology*
  • Kell Blood-Group System / genetics
  • Kell Blood-Group System / immunology*
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mice, Transgenic
  • Models, Animal*
  • Pregnancy
  • Pregnancy, Animal

Substances

  • Cytokines
  • Immunoglobulin G
  • Isoantibodies
  • Kell Blood-Group System
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins