Consequences of recurrent pregnancy loss: Category 5, chapter 1 immunological problems -- Alan E. Beer Center for Reproductive Immunology and Genetics

The Alan E. Beer Center for Reproductive Immunology & Genetics helps families grow by researching and treating couples who experience recurrent miscarriages, multiple pregnancy losses or repeated in vitro fertilization failures.

Category 5 Immunological Problems

Chapter 1: CD 56+ Natural Killer Cells

Problem

Increase in number 2-12% normal. Above 12% see infertility and pregnancy losses.
Increase in cytotoxicity in NK assay. Cytotoxicity above 15% at 50:1 can damage the embryo.
These cells usually reside in the blood; however, in 2% of women they are so activated they live in the uterus. This is determined by an endometrial biopsy on day 26 of a normal cycle and by the TJ-6 test which finds women whose Natural Killer Cells have become the most activated.
They produce toxic Cytokines (TH-1 cytokines) including Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF) Alpha.

Consequences

Prevent implantation.
Cause miscarriages by damaging the placental cells, causing decidual necrosis, damage the yolk sac.
Later in pregnancy they cause slowness of the heart rate of the baby, cause an irregular shaped gestational sac that is smaller than normal and amniotic fluid volume that is too small.
They induce subchorionic hemorrhages which can cause spotting, bleeding and can be seen easily on ultrasound.
In some women they can affect the DNA in the eggs so that fragmentation, slow cell division, arrested cell division and poor quality embryos are seen.

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Alan E. Beer Center for Reproductive Immunology & Genetics
15151 National Ave. #2; Los Gatos, CA 95032; Phone: (408) 356-9500; Fax: (408) 356-9509; E-mail: info@repro-med.net.
Date: 8-20-08, Time: 1:20 am.