title: Immunopotentiation reverses the embryotoxic effect of serum from women with pregnancy loss.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the effect of sera of women with habitual abortions (AB) on attachment and spreading of mouse blastocysts in vitro.
  
  
  METHODS
  Expansion, attachment, and spreading were the mouse blastocyst parameters utilized. Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) synthesis and cell markers expression were also assayed by autoradiography analysis and the indirect immunofluorescent technique.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sera were drawn from patients attending a habitual AB clinic in a tertiary care university hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-nine serum samples were drawn from habitually aborting women and the effect compared with 17 control AB sera.
  
  
  METHODS
  Habitually aborting women were immunized with paternal leucocytes; 18 post-immunization sera were also assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After 48 hours, there was delayed attachment and spreading (4% of test blastocysts spread as compared with 50.5% of controls). This was more profound after 72 hours culture (7.5% spread as compared with 72.8% of controls). Experimental sera were capable of reducing DNA synthesis, cytokeratin, fibronectin, or placental alkaline phosphatase expression by blastocyst cells. Leucocyte immunization of women with habitual ABs, clearly reversed the embryotoxic effect of the sera and enhanced cell markers expression.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data suggest that immunopotentiation may improve blastocyst survival in utero.
authors.affiliation: Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Israel.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zigril
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fein
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Carp
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Toder
mesh_terms: D000026:Abortion, Habitual / Q000276:immunology*; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000032:analysis; D001755:Blastocyst / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D001769:Blood; D046508:Culture Techniques; D004247:DNA / Q000096:biosynthesis; D005260:Female; D005353:Fibronectins / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007106:Immune Sera / Q000276:immunology; D007114:Immunization; D007633:Keratins / Q000032:analysis; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy
chemical_list: D005353:Fibronectins; D007106:Immune Sera; D007633:Keratins; D004247:DNA; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase