High levels of peripheral blood NK cells in women suffering from recurrent spontaneous abortion are reverted from high-dose intravenous immunoglobulins.

Abstract

PROBLEM:

To determine the levels of peripheral blood natural killer (NK) cells in healthy women and recurrent aborters, and the effect of intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIGs) on these levels.

METHOD OF STUDY:

A total of 659 women were evaluated for NK cells by means of flow cytofluorimetry: 42 non-pregnant healthy women, 394 non-pregnant recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA) women, 36 pregnant healthy women and 187 pregnant RSA women. Fifty-four of the pregnant RSA women were treated with IVIG; in 18 of them NK cells were measured immediately before and after the very first IVIG infusion (0.5 g/kg body weight).

RESULTS:

Blood NK cell results were increased in RSA pregnant/non-pregnant women, and significantly reduced by IVIG, even after the very first infusion. In RSA pregnant women treated by means of IVIG therapy, 92.3% success rate was observed.

CONCLUSIONS:

High levels of NK cells are detected in women affected by RSA. IVIGs are capable of decreasing them with a short- and long-term efficacy, allowing having a very high success rate of pregnancies in RSA women.

• Authors: Roberto Perricone, Gioia Di Muzio, Carlo Perricone, Roberto Giacomelli, Domenico De Nardo, Luigi Fontana, Caterina De Carolis
• Journal: American journal of reproductive immunology (New York, N.Y. : 1989) (Am J Reprod Immunol) Vol. 55 Issue 3 Pg. 232-9 (Mar 2006) ISSN: 1046-7408 [Print] Denmark
• PMID: 16451358 (Publication Type: Comparative Study, Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Immunoglobulins, Intravenous

Topics

• Abortion, Habitual (blood, drug therapy, immunology)
• Birth Rate
• Dose-Response Relationship, Immunologic
• Female
• Humans
• Immunoglobulins, Intravenous (therapeutic use)
• Killer Cells, Natural (drug effects, immunology)
• Pregnancy