title: Alterations in humoral immune responses associated with recurrent pregnancy loss.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the reactivity of maternal antibodies with endometrium-derived antigens and to correlate their association with recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL).
  
  
  METHODS
  Prevalence study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Academic research center.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nulliparous women (n = 10), women with RPL (n = 15), pregnant women (n = 8), and multiparous women with a normal obstetric history (n = 20).
  
  
  METHODS
  None.
  
  
  METHODS
  Reactive antibodies were analyzed by Western immunoblot techniques and quantitated by densitometry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Antibodies from women with RPL and multiparous women recognized antigens ranging from 10-120 kd on normal endometrium and endometrial tumors. Antibodies from most women with RPL (10/15) and from multiparous women (15/20) recognized 65-kd and 80-kd proteins in normal endometrium. Antibodies from women with RPL recognized 21-kd and 28-kd antigens (12/15 and 13/15, respectively) in endometrial tumors at a significantly greater rate (than did antibodies from multiparous women (5/20 and 8/20, respectively). Women with RPL had significantly lower levels of asymmetric IgG compared with controls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Recurrent pregnancy loss may be linked with the failure to elicit asymmetric IgG and a unique immunologic recognition of endometrial antigens.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Kentucky, USA.
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Eblen
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gercel-Taylor
authors.forename: L B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Shields
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Sanfilippo
authors.forename: S T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Nakajima
authors.forename: D D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Taylor
mesh_terms: D000026:Abortion, Habitual / Q000276:immunology*; D000328:Adult; D000906:Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D000941:Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000276:immunology; D016889:Endometrial Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology; D004717:Endometrium / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007106:Immune Sera; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D011247:Pregnancy; D012016:Reference Values
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D000941:Antigens; D001323:Autoantibodies; D007106:Immune Sera; D007074:Immunoglobulin G