ABSTRACT
Background: Recurrent miscarriage [RM] affects 2-5% of pregnant women. Paternal lymphocyte immunotherapy is a common treatment for RM patients but the outcome has not been consistent. Therefore, combined therapy with other immunosuppressive drugs such as 1a, 25-dihydroxy-vitamin-D3 [vitamin D3] may improve the outcome
Objectives: To investigate the effect of vitamin D3 on the balance of two essential T cells subsets, T helper [Th] 17 and T regulatory [Treg] cells, which regulate tolerance
Methods: The expression levels of CD4 and forkhead box protein 3 [FOXP3] in Treg cells, and the expression levels of CD4 and IL-17 in Th17 cells, were evaluated pre- and 3 months post-immunotherapy in RM patients treated with a combination of paternal lymphocytes and vitamin D3 compared with RM patients receiving lymphocyte immunotherapy alone
Results: Vitamin D3 therapy decreased the frequency of Th17 cells in addition to reducing the Th17/Treg ratio in peripheral blood of RM patients compared with the control group [p<0.05]
Conclusion: Considering that RM patients have a higher Th17/Treg ratio in peripheral blood, vitamin D3 may be a candidate therapeutic approach in this disease