FREQUENCY OF Rh ANTIGEN C AND c AMONG PREGNANT WOMEN IN SUB-URBAN AREA IN EASTERN NIGERIA

Abstract

Antigen C and c which are found in approximately 80% of the united states population is considered one of the clinically significant Rh antigen whose antibody has been associated with Haemolytic disease of New born hence the need to carry out this study in my locality. The study was aimed to investigate the frequency of antigens C and c in pregnant women in a hospital in Enugu, Eastern Nigeria. A total of 150 blood samples were collected from pregnant Women and commercially prepared anti- C and anti c were used to determine the presence of antigen C and c using tube agglutination method. The frequency of both antigens was determined using tube method. Eighty-five (85) samples were positive to antigen C, representing 56% while sixty-five (65) were negative representing 43.3%. Also, Ninety-one (91) samples were positive to antigen c representing 60.7% while fifty-nine (59) 0f the samples were not negative. This concludes that both antigens have a high frequency in the subjects tested and for that reason; Alternate hypothesis is accepted which says that antigen C and c are frequent in pregnant women in Enugu Nigeria.

Keywords: frequency, Rh antigen C and c, pregnant women