title: Parental HLA sharing, feto-maternal compatibility and neonatal birthweight in families with a history of recurrent spontaneous abortion.
abstract: The mean birthweight of babies eventually born to couples with a history of recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA) is allegedly lower if the parents have a high degree of HLA antigen sharing (Reznikoff-Etievant et al., 1991), but this relationship has not been independently confirmed. We have re-investigated this question by analysing data from 36 families. In 22 instances, we were able to relate birthweight directly to feto-maternal HLA compatibility for the first time in such families. We were unable to confirm any appreciable influence of paternal or feto-maternal HLA sharing on birthweight or placental weight and conclude that RSA families do not differ markedly from normal families in this respect.
authors.affiliation: Department of Transfusion Medicine, Royal Infirmary, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK.
authors.forename: D C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Kilpatrick
authors.forename: W A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Liston
mesh_terms: D000026:Abortion, Habitual / Q000276:immunology*; D000328:Adult; D001724:Birth Weight; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000276:immunology*; D006680:HLA Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D006650:Histocompatibility Testing; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy
chemical_list: D006680:HLA Antigens; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens