Prevalence and biological effects of anti-trophoblast and anti-endothelial cell antibodies in patients with recurrent spontaneous abortions.
OBJECTIVE
Trophoblasts and endothelial cells represent a potential target for antibodies in women with recurrent spontaneous abortions. These antibodies have been shown to be associated with anti-phospholipid antibodies. Are they also present in women with unexplained pregnancy losses in the absence of anti-phospholipid antibodies?


METHODS
The anti-trophoblast antibodies were tested by an immunofluorescence assay on cells purified from pooled first-trimester placentae, whereas the anti-endothelial cell antibodies were measured by enzyme-linked immunoadsorbent assay (ELISA) on cells isolated from the umbilical vein and were cultured to confluence. The cytotoxicity of trophoblasts was evaluated in a homologous system. The expression of adhesion molecules on endothelial cells was quantitated by ELISA using specific monoclonal antibodies, and the expression of tissue factor was quantitated by a chromogenic assay measuring the formation of factor Xa.


CONCLUSIONS
Complement-fixing antibodies to trophoblast represent a better marker to discriminate patients with recurrent spontaneous abortions from controls and are cytotoxic for the target cells. Anti-endothelial antibodies are also present in these patients and exhibit pro-inflammatory and pro-coagulant activities.
Tedesco
F
F
Department of Physiology and Pathology, University of Trieste, Italy.
Pausa
M
M
Nardon
E
E
Narchi
G
G
Bulla
R
R
Livi
C
C
Guaschino
S
S
Meroni
P L
PL
D000026:Abortion, Habitual / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology*; D000906:Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000378:metabolism; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D011247:Pregnancy; D013925:Thromboplastin / Q000378:metabolism; D014327:Trophoblasts / Q000276:immunology*
D000906:Antibodies; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D013925:Thromboplastin