The concept that the immune responsiveness of the mother is reduced during pregnancy arose from studies which appeared to show that immune response to certain antigens is reduced during pregnancy (1, 2). Various substances claimed to have immunosuppressive or immunomodulating effect include alpha fetoprotein, placental proteins, early pregnancy factor (EPF), ...

T-lymphocyte subpopulations were evaluated longitudinally in 62 primigravidas. Beginning early in the second trimester, women who later developed preeclampsia showed a significantly lower proportion of T-helper cells compared with those who remained normotensive (27.0 +/- 7.1 versus 34.7 +/- 7.9%; P less than or equal to .001). The decrease in ...

Successful reproduction in mammals requires the mother to immunologically accept genetically disparate tissues. Allotypic trophoblast antigens (TLX) are thought to be responsible for influencing maternal acceptance of the feto-placental graft, and faulty regulation of immunity to TLX antigens has been associated with recurrent pregnancy losses. In this report, rabbit antiidiotype ...

Peripartum cardiomyopathy occurs in from 1 in 3,000 to 1 in 4,000 pregnancies in the United States. Its clinical and hemodynamic findings are similar to idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy; however, peripartum cardiomyopathy shows a high incidence of myocarditis. Future studies will define the role of immune factors associated with the development ...

The influence of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) on the course and outcome of pregnancy, and the effect of pregnancy on EAE development, was investigated in rabbits and rats. Animals were immunized with encephalitogenic antigen in complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) either before or during pregnancy. Abortion or fetal resorption was observed ...

Intravenous drug abuse causes many health problems. From March 1989 to January 1990 of 27 Rh-negative women (28 pregnancies) referred to our centre, 4 women (5 pregnancies) were Rh immunized due to the sharing of needles and blood with their Rh-positive partners. Severe hydrops was present in 4 of their ...

The efficacy of immunotherapy for the treatment of recurrent spontaneous abortions was tested in patients selected from the same ethnically homogeneous population of Chinese in Taiwan in whom the immunogenetics of gestational trophoblastic tumors and of recurrent spontaneous abortion had been studied. The patients, who included both primary and secondary ...

This study compares the segregation of the ABO and Rh systems between malformed newborns and a control group with two purposes: (1) to evaluate the participation of genetic factors associated with these blood groups in the production of congenital malformations, and (2) to prove, indirectly, the existence of reproductive losses ...

The ontogenetic development of the immune system is a well-defined, almost stereotyped event. The anlagen of the human thymus can be distinguished in the third and fourth branchial arches in the sixth week of gestation. Several distinct responses have been observed in the first trimester of fetal development. In addition ...

In the present study we observed a significant depression of thymocytes during pregnancy and investigated the influences of this thymic change on the immunologic capacities of peripheral lymphocytes. Thymocytes in pregnant mice began to decrease in number from Day 10 and reached about 0.1-fold of the nonpregnant level at Day ...

We report five women with Rh 'partial D' who were found to have anti-D during pregnancy. Two patients were category IVa, their red cells typing as Go(a+); one was category VI; and two had a 'partial Du' which could not be categorized. The maternal anti-D concentration increased during four of ...

In a study of 52 cases of neonatal tetanus admitted to Wesley Guild Hospital, Ilesha, it was found that 17 (33%) of the babies were delivered to mothers who had received adequate tetanus toxoid immunization during pregnancy. The 17 babies were compared with the remaining 35 babies whose mothers had ...

The popliteal lymph node assay was used to investigate the effect of pregnancy on graft-versus-host reactivity (GvHR) of mouse spleen cells. After local injection of splenocytes from primiparous syngeneically pregnant (by BALB/cJ males) or allogeneically pregnant (by CBA/Ca males) mice no differences in lymph node weight gain were observed in ...

Kleihauer examination of peripheral blood cannot be used reliably to detect transplacental fetal-maternal haemorrhage in mothers with hereditary persistence of fetal haemoglobin (HPFH). In Rh(D) negative pregnancies diagnostic confusion with a large fetal-maternal haemorrhage could result in the administration of inappropriately excessive amounts of anti-D immunoglobulin, and the inability to ...

Several reports have found conflicting data regarding the association between lichen sclerosus et atrophicus (LSA) and HLA types. Association with HLA-A31 and -B40 has been noted, whereas another report found no correlation. We are the first to specifically examine HLA types in white patients in the United States. We have ...

Most women have only very small amounts of fetal blood in their circulations following pregnancy and delivery: the volume is less than 0.5 mL of whole blood in 93 percent of women, less than 1 mL in 96 percent, and less than 2 mL in 98 percent. FMH of 30 ...

Systemic alterations of the maternal inflammatory and immune system occur during pregnancy. These changes alone are unlikely to be responsible for the acceptance of the fetal semiallograft. Numerous local events at the maternal-fetal interface appear to be more important. The alterations of the maternal inflammatory and immune systems are subtle ...

Villitis of unestablished origin is a lesion in placentas from normal and high-risk pregnancies. We have studied villitis areas in 25 normal term placentas for immune cells, coagulation components, and endothelial markers. Villitis areas were filled with activated (HLA-DR, HLA-DP, and HLA-DQ reactive) macrophages. B lymphocytes were not identified, and ...

Two black women had bilateral anterior and posterior uveitis, nonrhegmatogenous retinal detachments, pleocytosis, headaches, dysacousis, and alopecia. These patients with Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada (VKH) syndrome improved clinically while they were pregnant after the discontinuation of corticosteroid treatment. They developed recurrent symptoms and findings after termination of their pregnancies. We speculate that changes ...

Retroplacental blood lymphocytes (RPL) in human pregnancy were studied for proliferative response induced by recombinant interleukin-2 (rIL-2) and anti-Tac positive cells before and after PHA stimulation for 24 hr and compared with peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) of the same donor. Proliferation of RPL induced by IL-2 was significantly lower than ...

We have sought to clarify the definition and importance of newly diagnosed thrombocytopenia in pregnant women by establishing an appropriate reference interval for the platelet count, and by observing the outcome in a cohort of thrombocytopenic pregnant women. The mean platelet count was lower in 2,155 healthy pregnant than non-pregnant ...

A 29-year-old female in the 20th week of pregnancy was admitted because of a change in the ABO blood group and bleeding tendency. Acute myelogenous leukemia was diagnosed with a weak reaction of red blood cells with anti-A antibody and a decreased level of A-transferase activity. Though the patient tolerated ...

We report a case of a 23-year-old woman who was afflicted with disseminated skin erythema multiforme-like eruptions that started at the menarche, relapsed at the premenstrual periods, dramatically spread during two pregnancies and cleared after abortion; the skin lesions responded dramatically to thalidomide treatment. A high-affinity binding factor to 17 ...

Focus group discussions were held with mothers in Kaduna, Nigeria, to investigate health practices during pregnancy and childbirth and perceptions of neonatal tetanus (NNT) and tetanus toxoid (TT) immunization. Mothers' responses indicated that while home births and traditional practices still predominate, health clinics are regarded as useful sources of health ...

After potentiation of the immune response in habitual aborters 75-85% of subsequent pregnancies are claimed to result in healthy term infants. However, all publications to date have either been based on the authors concept of the immune processes involved or an attempt to demonstrate the efficacy of treatment either empirically ...

Pregnancy outcomes for 125 women with unexplained recurrent abortion conceiving after immunologic testing for possible paternal leukocyte immunization were analyzed. Pregnancy success was related to the number of previous miscarriages (relative risk 0.36 for each additional miscarriage after 3), a history of a late pregnancy loss (relative risk 0.18), any ...

Large granular lymphocytes (LGLs) have a variety of cytotoxic activities of NK, K and cytotoxic T lymphocytes, suggesting that their morphology is indicative of lytic function. In non-pregnant normal control women (n = 48), the number of LGLs was 0.30 +/- 0.14 x 10(9)/l and the proportion of LGLs in ...

One of the major questions in medicine is how human extraembryonic tissues escape rejection by maternal immune responses, because these tissues are allogeneic and should stimulate allogeneic recognition and rejection reactions. Evidence for maternal allogeneic recognition of extraembryonic tissues in chorionic villi, basal plate, and spiral arteries is presented. Extraembryonic ...

In this study, the reactivity of mixed lymphocyte reaction-blocking antibodies toward trophoblasts was investigated. Nineteen sera that had a significant level of MLR-blocking effect were obtained from normal pregnant women and from primary habitual aborters after immunotherapy. The blocking effects of these sera were studied before and after absorption with ...

Fly ash as a product of coal combustion is known to contain various mutagenic substances, but genotoxic properties, especially of the particular (larger-size) fly ash fraction which is electrostatically precipitated (ESP) in the energy plant, have hardly been investigated. While smaller-size fly ash particles escape through the stack during powder ...

A serum from a patient (LAR), immunized by pregnancies and blood transfusions, reacted with cells carrying HLA-DR2 and/or -DR7 specificities (titer 1:200-1:1000). Absorption-elution experiments showed that the allo-serum recognized a determinant shared by DR2 and DR7 cells. The high correlation coefficients (0.90-1) with these specificities suggested that the supertypic specificity ...

Thirty-two patients with Rh-immunized pregnancies had amniocenteses between 16 and 20 weeks' gestation. Serial amniotic fluid values of delta optical density at 450 nm were studied to predict the severity of Rh disease. A value greater than 0.15 indicated severe Rh immunization. Values less than 0.09 indicated mild or no ...

It was observed that treatment of mother guinea pigs with myelin basic protein (MBP) in encephalitogenic form during pregnancy (1) (5) and in nonencephalitogenic form during pregnancy and/or lactation (3) resulted in a temporary resistance to experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE) in their offspring. The nature of the factor(s) transferred from ...

The cells of the immune system exchange information by a complex network of molecules referred to as lymphokines: these include the interferons. The physiology of the interferons, both in terms of control and function, is poorly understood. However, there is ample evidence that production of alpha-interferon is characteristic of the ...

Mothers who had just delivered babies of normal birthweight showed significant reductions in the numbers of circulating T and B lymphocytes and of the CD4 T lymphocyte subset. This is consistent with the immunosuppression that occurs in a normal pregnancy. In contrast, the mothers of low birthweight infants did not ...

The activity of RA is significantly altered by pregnancy with approximately 70 per cent of patients experiencing substantial improvement in symptoms, signs and sometimes extra-articular manifestations. This lessening of disease activity occurs in association with an almost complete cessation of medications. However, whether partial or complete this remission is short-lived ...

As already found in other various diseases, a macromolecular alkaline phosphatase complex (HMW-AP) was also found in sera of two severe Rhesus-incompatible pregnancies complicated by ascites and fetal hydrops at delivery. This atypical complex was detected and isolated by agarose gel electrophoresis. Immunoelectrophoresis and heat inactivation of this HMW-AP complex ...

Pregnant women were classified according to their serological status for cytomegalovirus, herpes simplex virus or rubella virus. Lymphocytes taken from non-pregnant women were shown to be able to recognise viral antigens and the mitogen phytohaemagglutinin by the measurement of proliferative responses and by the production of gamma interferon. Proliferative responses ...

The special problems of travel during pregnancy have become clinically important as more women are traveling to remote places for business or recreation. Optimal maintenance of fetal and maternal health under these circumstances entails specific considerations for which data, unfortunately, remain incomplete. Nevertheless, questions regarding immunizations, antimalarials, therapy for traveler's ...

Major differences in the maternal immune response to the fetus were observed in the placentomes and in the interplacentomal regions of the pregnant sheep uterus. Firstly, fewer lymphocytes were detected in the placentomes compared to the interplacentomal regions and to non-pregnant uterine tissue (Lee, Gogolin-Ewens & Brandon, 1988). Secondly, a ...

Polymorphism of the clinical picture manifested in pregnancy induced nephropathies necessitates the development of special immune methods of diagnosis, prevention and overall treatment. The changes in cellular and humoral immunity disclosed in this group of patients may serve as a starting point for elucidating the mechanism underlying pathogenesis of the ...

Previous observations have suggested that defective recognition of fetal alloantigens by the maternal immune system is associated with recurrent pregnancy failure and that this may be prevented by boosting the maternal immune system with paternal or pooled third-party leukocytes. The mechanism whereby this process achieves success is not clear, and ...

To test the hypothesis that immunopotentiation of the maternal immune system is beneficial for the developing embryo, we examined (1) the effect of specific preimmunization with paternal leucocytes in women and BALB/c splenocytes in CBA/J x DBA/2J mice (which show increased % fetal resorption) and (2) the influence of non-specific ...

As immune globulin anti-D given in the immediate post partum period fails to prevent the development of anti-D antibodies in about 1.5-2% of women at risk, probably as a result of feto-maternal bleeding during pregnancy, 300 micrograms of immune globulin anti-D was administered to 609 Rh-negative women in the 28th ...

The preimplantation sheep conceptus produces several molecules that inhibit lymphocyte responses in vitro to mitogens or allogeneic cells, including prostaglandin E-2 and a lactosaminoglycan-containing glycoprotein of Mr 800,000-900,000. Additionally, the definitive placenta releases immunosuppressive factors when placed in culture. One of these is a heat- and protease-stable, carbohydrate-containing molecule released ...

We tested for early pregnancy factor (EPF) using a rosette inhibition test with polyclonal anti-lymphocyte serum from the horse and two monoclonal antibodies specific for the E-receptor of T-lymphocytes. When lymphocytes were preincubated with early human pregnancy sera, rosette inhibition titres were four or more dilutions higher (P less than ...

Pregnant women show a reduced pressor responsiveness to angiotensin II, but the mechanism responsible in unclear. We sought to determine whether reduced pressor responsiveness was due to decreased vasoreactivity and the involvement of increased vasodilator prostaglandin production in decreases observed. We found that pregnancy decreased systemic vascular resistance and the ...

Direct evidence that maternal immune rejection of the fetus causes some unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortions was sought in 18 women with this condition. Tests of maternal cell-mediated immunity to fetal (paternal) antigens were done before conception, in early pregnancy, and at miscarriage, and were compared with those in 10 controls ...

Erythroblastosis fetalis, hemolytic disease of the newborn, occurs when an isoimmunized mother produces antibodies that cross the placenta and cause hemolysis of fetal red blood cells. This hemolysis can be accompanied by severe anemia, ascites, pleural and pericardial effusions, congestive heart failure, and neurological damage with resultant perinatal mortality. Rh ...

A teratological assessment was performed using rats that were exposed to an alternating magnetic field. The magnetic field had a sawtooth waveform similar to that produced by video display terminals (VDTs). Female rats were exposed 2 weeks prior to and throughout pregnancy at a rate of 7 h/day. Three intensities ...