Evaluation of selected markers of the immune system in children of renal transplant recipients.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to evaluate whether chronic use of immunosuppressive drugs during pregnancy in women after renal transplantation affects the concentration of immunoglobulin G (IgG) and IgM in the serum of their children.


METHODS
Seventy-eight children aged 1 day to 15 years were enrolled. The study group consisted of 39 children born to renal transplant recipient mothers. The control group comprised 39 children whose mothers had not received immunosuppressive medications during pregnancy and were born at similar gestational age.


METHODS
Serum concentrations of IgG and IgM were evaluated with the use of agglutination immunoassays on Siemens or Cobas device. Age-adjusted reference values for immunoglobulins formulated by Wolska-Kusnierz et al were used. Statistical analysis was performed with the use of Statistica 10.0 software with P value <.05 considered significant.


RESULTS
Normal IgG concentrations were found in 82.05% (32) of children from the study group and 79.49% (31) of the control group. IgG concentrations below normal range were observed in 12.82% (5) of children from the study group and in 15.38% (6) of the control group. Normal concentrations of IgM were found in 53.85% (21) of children from the study group and in 61.54% (24) of the control group. Decreased levels of IgM were observed in 38.46% (15) of children from the study group and 35.9% (14) of the control group. There were no significant differences regarding the analyzed values between the groups.


CONCLUSIONS
The exposure to chronic intrauterine immunosuppression had no significant effect on the concentration of IgG or IgM in children born to kidney transplant recipients.
Division of Neonatology, (1st)Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland. Electronic address: a.drozdowska-szymczak@wp.pl.
A
A
Drozdowska-Szymczak
Division of Neonatology, (1st)Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.
B
B
Kociszewska-Najman
Division of Neonatology, (1st)Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.
J
J
Schreiber-Zamora
Division of Neonatology, (1st)Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.
N
N
Czaplińska
Division of Neonatology, (1st)Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.
B
B
Borek-Dzięcioł
First Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.
A
A
Zwierzchowska
First Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.
I
I
Szymusik
First Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.
B
B
Pietrzak
First Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.
M
M
Wielgoś
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood*; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood*; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000276:immunology; D011446:Prospective Studies
D015415:Biomarkers; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents