Alterations in humoral immune responses associated with recurrent pregnancy loss.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the reactivity of maternal antibodies with endometrium-derived antigens and to correlate their association with recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL).

DESIGN

Prevalence study.

SETTING

Academic research center.

PATIENT(S): Nulliparous women (n = 10), women with RPL (n = 15), pregnant women (n = 8), and multiparous women with a normal obstetric history (n = 20).

INTERVENTION(S): None.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Reactive antibodies were analyzed by Western immunoblot techniques and quantitated by densitometry.

RESULT(S): Antibodies from women with RPL and multiparous women recognized antigens ranging from 10-120 kd on normal endometrium and endometrial tumors. Antibodies from most women with RPL (10/15) and from multiparous women (15/20) recognized 65-kd and 80-kd proteins in normal endometrium. Antibodies from women with RPL recognized 21-kd and 28-kd antigens (12/15 and 13/15, respectively) in endometrial tumors at a significantly greater rate (than did antibodies from multiparous women (5/20 and 8/20, respectively). Women with RPL had significantly lower levels of asymmetric IgG compared with controls.

CONCLUSION(S): Recurrent pregnancy loss may be linked with the failure to elicit asymmetric IgG and a unique immunologic recognition of endometrial antigens.