Platelet-specific antibodies in female blood donors after pregnancy.

Sera of 500 female blood donors after pregnancy were tested for platelet-specific antibodies (HPA-1, 3, 5) using the MAIPA assay. Twenty-one sera (4.2%) were found to be positive: four anti-HPA-1a, one anti-HPA-5a and 16 anti-HPA-5b. Sera were positive up to 30 years after the last pregnancy. All women with antibodies were HLA-DR52 positive and 79% of the women with anti-HPA-5b were HLA-DR6 positive.