Thyroid autoimmunity and its association with cellular and humoral immunity in women with reproductive failures.
OBJECTIVE
thyroid autoimmunity (TAI), which is T helper (Th)1-cell-mediated autoimmunity to thyrocytes, is associated with increased risk of miscarriages and highly prevalent in women with infertility. We aim at investigating the prevalence of TAI in women with recurrent spontaneous abortions (RSA) or unexplained infertility (UI) and its relationship with cellular and humoral immune abnormalities.


METHODS
prevalence of antiphospholipid antibodies, anti-nuclear antibody, other non-organ-specific antibodies (NOSAs; anti-dsDNA, anti-ssDNA, anti-histone, anti-Scl70), peripheral blood natural killer (NK) cell levels (%) and cytotoxicity, and CD3(+) /CD4(+) Th1/Th2 cell ratios were compared in women with and without TAI. Thyroid functional tests (TFT) were analyzed in both groups before and after pregnancy.


RESULTS
tumor necrosis factor-α/IL-10 expressing CD3(+) /CD4(+) cell ratios (P < 0.05), CD56(+) NK cell levels (P < 0.05), the prevalence of anticardiolipin antibodies (P < 0.05) and other NOSAs (P < 0.005) were significantly higher in women with TAI when compared to women without TAI. Changes in thyroid-stimulating hormone levels between before and after pregnancy in women with TAI were significantly higher when compared to those of women without TAI (P < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
TAI is associated with impaired cellular and humoral immune responses in women with RSA or UI. In women with TAI, serial TFT is recommended when pregnancy is established.
Kim
Na Young
NY
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science. North Chicago, IL, USA.
Cho
Hye Jin
HJ
Kim
Heun Yun
HY
Yang
Kwang Moon
KM
Ahn
Hyun Kyong
HK
Thornton
Simon
S
Park
Joon Cheol
JC
Beaman
Kenneth
K
Gilman-Sachs
Alice
A
Kwak-Kim
Joanne
J
D000026:Abortion, Habitual / Q000276:immunology*; D000328:Adult; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000276:immunology*; D015551:Autoimmunity / Q000276:immunology; D017252:CD3 Complex / Q000276:immunology; D015704:CD4 Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D019002:CD56 Antigen / Q000276:immunology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular / Q000276:immunology; D056724:Immunity, Humoral / Q000276:immunology; D007247:Infertility, Female / Q000276:immunology*; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000276:immunology; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology; D011247:Pregnancy; D013960:Thyroid Function Tests; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000276:immunology*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000276:immunology
D017252:CD3 Complex; D015704:CD4 Antigens; D019002:CD56 Antigen; C508609:IL10 protein, human; C522918:NCAM1 protein, human; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D016753:Interleukin-10