Intravenous immunoglobulin treatment in women with recurrent abortions: increased cytokine levels and reduced Th1/Th2 lymphocyte ratio in peripheral blood.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to investigate changes in peripheral blood Th1/Th2 cytokine levels and lymphocyte ratios after massive intravenous immunoglobulin (MIVIg) treatment for women with recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA) of unexplained etiology.


METHODS
Serum Th1 (IFN-gamma, TNF-alpha) and Th2 cytokine (IL-4, IL-10) levels were assessed by ELISA methods (n = 9) and peripheral blood Th1/Th2 lymphocyte ratios (n = 4) by flow cytometry before and after MIVIg treatments in women with four or more consecutive RSA.


RESULTS
Pre-treatment serum IFN-gamma (0.06 +/- 0.09 pg/mL, mean +/- SD), TNF-alpha (0.21 +/- 0.45 pg/mL), IL-4 (0.70 +/- 1.16 pg/mL), and IL-10 (1.12 +/- 1.67 pg/mL) increased to 0.17 +/- 0.16 pg/mL, 0.77 +/- 0.28 pg/mL, 1.82 +/- 0.89 pg/mL, and 3.44 +/- 0.48 pg/mL, respectively, after MIVIg treatments (P < 0.05). CD4-positive IFN-gamma/IL-4 lymphocyte ratios (17.3 +/- 9.1) were reduced to 11.5 +/- 7.1 after treatment (P < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Massive intravenous immunoglobulin treatments increased peripheral blood cytokine levels and decreased Th1/Th2 lymphocyte ratios; thus, MIVIg treatments modify the peripheral Th1/Th2 balance.
Yamada
Hideto
H
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan. yhideto@med.hokudai.ac.jp
Morikawa
Mamoru
M
Furuta
Itsuko
I
Kato
Emi H
EH
Shimada
Shigeki
S
Iwabuchi
Kazuya
K
Minakami
Hisanori
H
D000026:Abortion, Habitual / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D000818:Animals; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007167:Immunotherapy; D051379:Mice; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000187:drug effects*; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000187:drug effects*
D016207:Cytokines; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous