Frequency of rh phenotypes in relation to the outcome of pregnancy in the two groups of pregnant women

Abstract

Lethal and sublethal genetical factors, including Rh factor, represent endogenous risk factors of the pregnancy outcome. These factors are most frequently inherited in recessive way and they often lead to the negative outcome of pregnancies. They represent pregnancy (a prirori) risk of various degrees. Inheritance of Rh system blood groups is linked to chromosome 1 and it could be explained by two alternative theories; molecular Rh system genetics has not yet been completely explained. The first formal-genetic theory postulates three closely linked gene sites (loci C, D and E) while the second theory has a monogenic character (one locus with several allele genes). Data on 755 pregnancies, which were (for various reasons) estimated as increased risk pregnancies, were registered at Gynaecology Clinic, Clinical Centre of University of Sarajevo, during the period from 1989 to 1992. These data were collected from pregnant women who, according to the certain indications from their familiar and personal anamnesis, demanded genetic consultations. The result of investigation of the basic Rh system phenotype distribution shows no statistically significant difference between monitored pregnant women. This result is assumed as valid for both pregnant women and their partners. The same result is suggesting that the observed increased risk pregnancy samples do not significantly differ from the previously studied population samples. Therefore, it has been concluded that Rh factor is not closely related to the increased risk of individual pregnancy outcomes, that is, it does not have relevant influence on the observed reproduction parameters. This result is very interesting and deserves particular medical attention and further evaluation in the future, particularly considering known immunological phenomena resulting from relations between reproduction partners belonging to the basic Rh system phenotypes.