The immunological profile of infertile women after repeated IVF failure (preliminary study).
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this preliminary study was to estimate the immunological profile of patients after repeated IVF failures.


METHODS
Seventeen women after repeated IVF failure and 10 non-pregnant women with a history of successful IVF pregnancies were included in the study. We estimated the presence of the auto-antibodies, such as: antinuclear antibodies (ANA), antithyroid antibodies (ATA), antiphospolipid antibodies (APA), antismooth muscle antibodies (ASMA), and antisperm antibodies (ASA). Furthermore, we estimated the percentage of B-1 CD 19+5+ lymphocytes and NK cells using flow cytometry.


RESULTS
In the group of patients after IVF failure the percentage of B-1 CD 19+5+ lymphocytes was higher than 1.5% and significantly higher when compared to controls. Three patients after IVF failure had elevated percentages of peripheral blood NK cells. Fourteen infertile patients after IVF failure (82.3%) had at least one abnormal result on autoimmune testing. One patient from the study group had no positive results of immunological tests.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results suggest that immunological alterations may be involved in the etiopathogenesis of unexplained infertility. Furthermore, the results suggest that there is a need for immunological diagnostics in the group of patients with unexplained infertility A greater number of patients is needed for further investigations.
Putowski
Lechoslaw
L
Department of Gynecology, University School of Medicine, 20-954 Lublin, ul Jaczewskiego 8, Poland. putowski@eskulap.am.lublin.pl
Darmochwal-Kolarz
Dorota
D
Rolinski
Jacek
J
Oleszczuk
Jan
J
Jakowicki
Jerzy
J
D000026:Abortion, Habitual / Q000276:immunology*; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007247:Infertility, Female / Q000276:immunology* / Q000628:therapy; D011247:Pregnancy; D011336:Probability; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D017211:Treatment Failure
D001323:Autoantibodies