Leukocyte migration enhancement as an indicator of immunologic enhancement. I. Pregnancy.
Leukocyte migration studies with amniotic fluid (AF) were performed in 47 pregnant women and 24 control patients. Previous reports about the enhancing effect of AF on leukocyte migration during pregnancy were confirmed (p less than 0.003). No enhancing effect was observed with first-trimester leukocytes. Maximal enhancement occurred during the second trimester (p less than 0.0001). It decreased during the third trimester (p less than 0.01) and lost significance in the postpartum period (p less than 0.072). Fifteen pregnant and control patients were investigated with autologous plasma. Leukocyte migration enhancement (LME) was significant with pregnancy plasma (PL) (p less than 0.03). Again LME was the largest during the second trimester (p less than 0.006). It is concluded that an immunologically active factor is present in AF and PL which in term induces the enhancing activity of a predetermined effector cell subgroup. This process is absent in conjunction with male leukocytes and is lacking in the majority of patients with toxemia of pregnancy.
D000653:Amniotic Fluid / Q000276:immunology; D002464:Cell Migration Inhibition; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D011261:Pregnancy Trimester, First; D011262:Pregnancy Trimester, Second; D011263:Pregnancy Trimester, Third; D014115:Toxemia / Q000276:immunology