Anti-paternal antibodies by flow cytometry in the management of alloimmunization on recurrent miscarriages.
OBJECTIVE
There is no reliable laboratory test available to diagnose immunologically mediated miscarriages. We investigated the clinical significance of maternal anti-paternal leukocyte antibodies by flow cytometry after alloimmunization.


METHODS
The flow cytometry crossmatch (FCXM) was performed in 158 patients with a history of three or more unexplained first-trimester miscarriages without live birth. After negative FCXM patients were immunized, subsequent pregnancy outcomes and FCXM results were followed.


RESULTS
Of 112 subsequent pregnancies, 83 of 100 (83.0%) FCXM-positive patients after immunotherapy had successful pregnancy outcomes, whereas seven of 10 (70.0%) FCXM-negative patients had miscarriages (P = 0.0001). The percent live birth ratio was 2.77 (CI, 1.07-7.16; P=0.0001) for FCXM-positive patients compared to FCXM-negative patients. The calculated predictive value showed that 75.6% of FCXM-negative patients would have subsequent miscarriages.


CONCLUSIONS
Positive FCXM is closely associated with successful pregnancy outcome following immunotherapy. We propose that FCXM might be included in the routine laboratory tests for the management of recurrent miscarriages.
Matsubayashi
H
H
Department of OB/GYN, Tokai University, School of Medicine, Isehara, Kanagawa, Japan.
Maruyama
T
T
Ozawa
N
N
Izumi
S I
SI
Sugi
T
T
Yoshikata
K
K
Yoshimura
Y
Y
Makino
T
T
D000026:Abortion, Habitual / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D001788:Blood Grouping and Crossmatching; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D007114:Immunization; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome