Natural killer cell cytotoxicity and paternal lymphocyte immunization in women with recurrent spontaneous abortions.
OBJECTIVE
Natural killer (NK)-cell cytotoxicity in women undergoing lymphocyte immunization prior to and following treatment was investigated.


METHODS
A cohort of 33 women with a history of two or more recurrent spontaneous abortions was prospectively studied. NK-cell cytotoxicity was determined at effector-to-target ratios of 50:1 and 25:1. Peripheral blood CD56+ NK-cell, CD19+ B-cell, CD19+/5+ B-1-cell, and CD3+ pan T-cell levels were studied by flow cytometry before and after lymphocyte immunization treatment. Maternal antipaternal T- and B-cell antibody levels were measured before and after lymphocyte immunization by flow cytometric analysis. Paternal lymphocyte immunizations were given two times with a 4-week interval. Post-lymphocyte immunization testing was done 4 weeks after the second lymphocyte immunization. The controls were 8 normal healthy women. NK assays were done twice with an interval of 8 weeks.


RESULTS
NK-cell activity at effector-to-target ratios of 50:1 (P = 0.005) and 25:1 (P = 0.001) were significantly suppressed after lymphocyte immunization. CD3+ pan T-cell levels after lymphocyte immunization were significantly increased compared with levels before lymphocyte immunization (P = 0.008). CD56+ NK-cell levels were significantly suppressed after lymphocyte immunization (P = 0.016). There was no correlation between changes in NK cytotoxicity and differences in antipaternal lymphocyte antibody levels before or after lymphocyte immunization.


CONCLUSIONS
Lymphocyte immunization suppresses NK-cell cytotoxicity and CD56+ NK-cell levels and increases the peripheral blood CD3+ T-cell population in women with recurrent spontaneous abortions.
Kwak
J Y
JY
FUHS/The Chicago Medical School, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, North Chicago, Illinois 60064, USA.
Gilman-Sachs
A
A
Moretti
M
M
Beaman
K D
KD
Beer
A E
AE
D000026:Abortion, Habitual / Q000276:immunology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D019264:Adoptive Transfer; D000328:Adult; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D005220:Fathers; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood; D007518:Isoantibodies / Q000097:blood; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology*; D017710:Lymphocyte Transfusion; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology
D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D007518:Isoantibodies