Prenatal analysis of rhesus CcDEe blood groups by heteroduplex generator.

Abstract

Our purpose was to determine the efficacy of the heteroduplex generator in the prenatal analysis of rhesus CcDEe blood groups. A cross-sectional study was performed evaluating fetal samples from 85 women undergoing prenatal diagnosis and comparing the results with standard immunologic serotyping on cord blood delivery. Of the 85 samples, 64 were tested, for all CcDEe alleles: one case was discrepant. Twenty-one cases were tested solely for the D antigen. Two novel genotypes were detected in the population by heteroduplex generator and confirmed by deoxyribonucleic acid sequencing. Five cases were indeterminate because of an indistinct banding pattern. Heteroduplex analysis can identify rhesus blood group alleles and is inexpensive, rapid, and does not use radioactive isotopes.