title: Persistence of naturally acquired cell-mediated immunity to rubella virus during the first trimester of pregnancy.
abstract: We studied the persistence of naturally acquired cell-mediated immunity to rubella during early pregnancy. We compared lymphocyte transformation responses to phytohemagglutinin and rubella virus in 35 naturally immune women aged 17-37 years, in the first trimester of pregnancy, with 49 naturally immune age-matched nonpregnant controls. A significant lower lymphocyte transformation response to phytohemagglutinin was observed during the first trimester of pregnancy (P = 0.008), but lymphocyte transformation responses to rubella virus were not significantly different (P = 0.901). These data indicate that, in naturally immune women, cell-mediated immunity to rubella virus is not significantly altered by the physiological changes in early pregnancy.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D003168:Complement Fixation Tests; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000276:immunology*; D011261:Pregnancy Trimester, First; D012409:Rubella / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000956:Antigens, Viral