Predicting hemolytic disease of the newborn: a comparison of the monocyte monolayer assay and the chemiluminescence test

Abstract

The ability of the monocyte monolayer assay (MMA) and the chemiluminescence test (CLT) to predict the clinical significance of alloantibodies associated with hemolytic disease of the newborn (HDN) was assessed by the use of 22 well-characterized antisera--predominantly anti-D--from alloimmunized pregnant women. Seventeen sera were obtained before delivery from women whose infants were antigen positive for the antibody specificities identified in the maternal serum. With testing of these 17 sera by MMA, 10 results were in agreement with the presence or absence of HDN, but there were 5 false-positive and 2 false-negative results. With the CLT, 16 results were in agreement with the presence or absence of HDN, and there was 1 false-negative result. Five sera were obtained from women whose infants were antigen negative for the antibody specificities identified in the maternal serum. The CLT and the MMA were both subject to false-positive results with these sera. These results suggest that the CLT may be more valuable than the MMA as a noninvasive test for predicting the clinical significance of alloantibodies in HDN.