Concentration of Fetal Red Blood Cells From a Mixture of Maternal and Fetal Blood by Anti-i Serum—An Aid to Prenatal Diagnosis of Hemoglobinopathies

Abstract

Fetal red blood cells were concentrated from mixtures of maternal and fetal cells by differential agglutination with anti-i serum. This method will be useful for prenatal diagnosis of hemoglobinopathies when blood obtained from the fetus is heavily contaminated by maternal cells. The method is practical, except in very rare cases in which the maternal red cells are strongly agglutinated by anti-i.