Preventive effect of monoclonal antibodies to intercellular adhesion molecule-1 and leukocyte function-associate antigen-1 on murine spontaneous fetal resorption.

PROBLEM: Are cell adhesion molecules involved in the murine model of immunologically-mediated spontaneous abortion?

METHOD OF STUDY: Pregnant CBA/J female mice mated with DBA/2 male mice were injected with monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) to intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and leukocyte function-associate antigen-1 (LFA-1). On day 13 of gestation. viable and resorbed embryos were counted. Natural killer (NK) cell activity in the spleen, mixed lymphocyte reactions (MLR), mixed lymphocyte-placenta reactions (MLPR), and levels of interferon (IFN)-gamma were assayed.

RESULTS

Significant suppression of fetal resorption was observed by the injection of MAb to ICAM-1 and LFA-1. NK cell activity and the MLR anti-(CBA/J x DBA/ 2)F1 were reduced in the antibody-treated CBA/J spleen. Moreover, the level of IFN-gamma was significantly lower in the MLPR supernatants from the antibody-treated group than those of the control group.

CONCLUSIONS

One mechanism in the murine model of spontaneous abortion may be through the interaction of cell adhesion molecules, which may modulate NK cell activities and cytokine production.