Deletion of the dominant autoantigen in NZB mice with autoimmune hemolytic anemia : Effects on autoantibody and T-helper responses

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Routine Antenatal Anti-D Prophylaxis in Women Who Are Rh(D) Negative: Meta-Analyses Adjusted for Differences in Study Design and Quality

Background: To estimate the effectiveness of routine antenatal anti-D prophylaxis for preventing sensitisation in pregnant Rhesus negative women, and to explore whether this depends on the treatment regimen adopted. Methods: Ten studies identified in a previous systematic literature search were included. Potential sources of bias were systematically identified using bias checklists, and their impact and uncertainty were quantified using expert opinion. Study results were adjusted for biases and combined, first in a random-effects meta-analysis and then in a random-effects metaregression analysis. Results: In a conventional meta-analysis, the pooled odds ratio for sensitisation was estimated as 0.25 (95 % CI 0.18, 0.36), comparing routine antenatal anti-D prophylaxis to control, with some heterogeneity (I 2 = 19%). However, this naïve analysis ignores substantial differences in study quality and design. After adjusting for these, the pooled odds ratio for sensitisation was estimated as 0.31 (95 % CI 0.17, 0.56), with no evidence of heterogeneity (I 2 = 0%). A meta-regression analysis wa

Combination peptide immunotherapy suppresses antibody and helper T cell responses to the RhD protein in HLA-transgenic mice

Funding This work was supported by grants from the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service and the Wellcome Trust, UK (058766).Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Combination peptide immunotherapy suppresses antibody and helper T cell responses to the major human platelet autoantigen GPIIb/IIIa in HLA-transgenic mice

The study was funded by grants from the Medical Research Council (UK) Confidence in Concept, the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service and the Wellcome Trust (UK). Acknowledgments We would like to acknowledge the assistance of Iain Fraser Cytometry Centre at the University of Aberdeen.Peer reviewedPublisher PD