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Before I attempt to answer your query, I must explain that I am NOT a doctor. I am what is called in the UK, a Biomedical Scientist and, as such, am not qualified to make a diagnosis, but I am the Chief Examiner in Transfusion Science for the Institute of Biomedical Science, and used to by the Reference Laboratory Manager in the Red Cell Reference Laboratory in the National Health Service Blood and Transplant Centre in Tooting, London, so I can claim some expertise. Although a warm auto-antibody in a person's plasma is by no means common, it is something we use to see on a daily basis at Tooting. To put it at its most basic, it results from your immune system producing an antibody directed against a red cell antigen expressed upon your own red cells, which could, under certain circumstances, lead to you becoming (usually mildly) anaemic. The "autologous adsorption" bit means that the laboratory, either at your hospital, or at a Reference Centre has been able to remove the antibody from the plasma in your blood sample by using your own red cells (thus proving beyond doubt that the antibody is indeed an auto-antibody). They have then tested this adsorbed plasma in tests to see if there are any unusual antibodies in your plasma that are directed against antigens expressed on the red cells of other individuals; so called allo-antibodies. They include in their report the caveat that concerning the "common blood group antigens" because it is all but impossible to test for antibodies against all the known antigens, of which there are well over 600, some of which are incredibly rare. Most auto-antibodies have a specificity within the Rh Blood Group System, which, at present, contains 55 different antigens (but other antigens are being found on a regular basis). Most of these auto-antibodies are directed against either the Rh antigen known as Rh17, or against that known as Rh18 (I realise these names will mean nothing to you - but bear with me). Almost everybody in the world expresses both of these antigens on there red cells, and the actual specificity of the auto-antibody is not really of any consequence. It is highly unusual, to say the least, for a maternal auto-antibody to cause any problems with a condition known as haemolytic disease of the foetus and new-born (or HDFN), particularly at an early stage of pregnancy. To me, this suggests that your early miscarriages and your auto-antibody status are coincidental, rather than the auto-antibody being the cause of your early miscarriages. Red cells are not really produced in early foetal life (indeed, there is not much in the way of blood in a foetus until about 12 weeks of gestation), so there are very few foetal red cells available to be affected by your auto-antibody. Having said all of that, I would reiterate that I am NOT a doctor, and even if I were, it would be impossible (and stupid in the extreme) to even attempt to make a diagnosis without FULL knowledge of your case. As such, I would suggest that you do discuss your case with your own physician (or your obstetrician) and be guided by what he or she suggests in terms of further testing. I hope that helps a little bit, and that I have not "blinded you with science" (which was not my intention), and I apologise for me English spelling!

Roughly speaking, it is 15% hyper-responders, 70% normal responders and 15% non-responders (but those figures are rough). I tend to agree with your last sentence John. I was thinking more in terms of a single unit in an average sized adult.

We use diluent to make up the negative and positive control solutions for checking the screening cells. That seems adequate. Scott