Circulating immune complexes in patients with complete molar pregnancy

ABSTRACT

Circulating immune complexes [CICs] were measured in 14 patients with complete molar pregnancy to investigate CICs and trophoblastic tumor burden, when 11 of the 14 patients were first seen, CICs were in the normal range. All the 3 patients with elevated levels of CICs had concurrent bilharziasis and 2 of them had preeclampsia. Patients with normal CICs, when followed up, developed increased levels when entered remission. Circulating immune complexes remained elevated during gonadotropin remission from 6 to 17 weeks and then declined to initial levels. The decreasing antigen load, when the patient approaches gonadotropin remission, may provide a more favorable antigen antibody ratio for the formation and detection of CICs using the polyethylene glycol [PEG] turbidity assay