title: Abnormal cytokine levels in non-pregnant women with a history of recurrent miscarriage.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare cytokine levels in serum from non-pregnant women with a history of recurrent miscarriage with those found in non-pregnant women with no such history.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two patient groups were enrolled into the study. Group 1 comprised 25 non-pregnant women with no history of recurrent miscarriage. Group 2 comprised 50 non-pregnant women who had a history of at least three previous miscarriages. Fifteen of these women have since become pregnant again--10 had a successful pregnancy and five miscarried. Serum levels of IL-4, IFN gamma, IL-12 and IL-18 were measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Results showed IFN gamma ( 0.68 +/- 0.72 versus 0.45 +/- 0.29 P < 0.05) and IL-12 levels (66 +/- 25 versus 51 +/- 24 P < 0.05) were significantly higher in Group 2 compared to Group 1. Levels of IL-18 were significantly lower in Group 2 patients (318 +/- 140 versus 246 +/- 219 P < 0.05). Of the 15 women who became pregnant, those who miscarried again had significantly higher IL-18 levels when not pregnant than those women whose next pregnancies went successfully to term (547 +/- 20 versus 274 +/- 129 P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that women with a history of recurrent miscarriage can have abnormal cytokine expression even when not pregnant. This may influence the potential for future successful immune modulatory therapy.
authors.affiliation: University Department of Medicine, Glasgow Royal Infirmary, 10 Alexandra Parade, Glasgow G31 2ER, UK. gcl025@clinmed.gla.ac.uk
authors.forename: Rhoda
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.forename: Carol
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jenkins
authors.forename: Helen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: Iain B
authors.initials: IB
authors.lastname: McInnes
authors.forename: Judith
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Moore
authors.forename: Marjorie A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: McLean
authors.forename: James J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Walker
mesh_terms: D000026:Abortion, Habitual / Q000097:blood*; D000328:Adult; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000097:blood; D018664:Interleukin-12 / Q000097:blood; D020382:Interleukin-18 / Q000097:blood; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000097:blood; D011247:Pregnancy
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D020382:Interleukin-18; D018664:Interleukin-12; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007371:Interferon-gamma