ABO incompatibility v Hemolytic disease of the newborn

[Qester]

---

Members do not see this ad.

Why is ABO incompatibility relatively mild, whereas the hemolytic disease of the newborn an be fatal given that they are both IgG mediated RBC destruction?

 

[zhopv10]

Fetal RBC's express less ABO blood group antigens compared to adult levels and whereas the Rh antigens are just on RBC's the ABO antigens in the fetus (and adult) and expressed by a variety of tissues. This leads to more targets that are not RBC's that could "distract" the antibodies from attacking the RBC's.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile app