Increase of NK cells in decidua of women with recurrent spontaneous abortion

Various immunological mechanisms are known to be involved in maintenance of pregnancy but mechanisms underlying the failure of pregnancy in spontaneous abortion are poorly understood. Leukocytes consist a substantial percentage of endometrial stroma cells and classic natural killer cells have been proposed as immunological factor in spontaneous abortion. This study was performed to clarify the immunological role of classic NK cells in women with recurrent spontaneous abortion in the first trimester and of unknown etiology. This cell population was studied in 30 samples of decidua tissue of women with spontaneous abortion [test group] and compared with 30 samples of decidua of women undergoing elective pregnancy termination [control group]. Paraffin embedded sections were prepared from endometrial tissue samples of both groups and were dyed with specific monoclonal antibody against CD57 marker by using avidin-biotin-peroxides technique. NK cells positive for CD57 were then evaluated and counted under light microscopy with 400 magnification. Z-test was used to statistically compare NK population between test and control groups. Result showed that NK cells were scattered through stroma cells in both normal and abotion group. There was few NK cells observed in normal decidua tissue, where as this cell population was significantly increased in women with spontaneous abortion [P<0.003]. It seems that NK cells play key role in recurrent spontaneous abortion during the first trimester of pregnancy. Probably classic NK cells are activated by local cytokines and attack trophoblast cells of placenta and are thus involved in induction of spontaneous abortion

Immune status in congenital infections by TORCH agents in pregnant Thais.

A cross-sectional, sero-epidemiological survey of the prevalence of antibodies to TORCH agents during various stages of gestation revealed an overall rate of 13-15 percent having antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii; 85-87 percent, to rubella ; 79-81 percent, to herpes simplex virus (HSV); 100 percent, to cytomegalovirus (CMV); 82-86 percent, to human herpes virus type 6 (HHV-6); 1-2 percent, to hepatitis C virus (HCV). None of human T lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) antibody was detected, and a prevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) was 6 percent. Although a tendency was noted towards an increase of antibody detection to each TORCH agent as gestation progressed, a statistically significant increase in antibodies titer and specific IgM antibody was found with regard to CMV. These results suggest an increase in CMV infection or reactivation during pregnancy whereas an increase in the other TORCH infections was not obvious.

Influencias de la dieta durante el embarazo y la coexistencia de alergia en el primer año de vida / Effect of diet during pregnancy and coexistence of allergy in the fisrt year of life

Se estudiaron 30 embarazadas, de las que 20 tenían una historia clínica y datos de laboratorio y pruebas cutáneas necesarios para diagnosticarlas como atópicas. Diez de las embarazadas atópicas estuvieron bajo una dieta de exclusión a partir del segundo trimestre del embarazo, y las otras diez siguieron una dieta normal. Como grupo testigo se incluyeron 10 embarazadas no atópicas. Cada uno de los productos del embarazo se estudió y siguió hasta por 12 meses, haciéndose una cuantificación de IgE dentro de los primeros dos meses de edad. Los resultados clínicos sugieren que una dieta apropiada durante el embarazo en las mujeres atópicas disminuye el riesgo de que sus hijos tengan cuadros alérgicos en los primeros 12 meses de vida, ya que los hijos de las mujeres que siguieron la dieta de eliminación tuvieron un menor número de problemas alérgicos, en comparación con las que llevaron una dieta normal (dos casos contra cinco, respectivamente) y ninguna enfermedad alérgica en el grupo testigo