Association between Peripheral CD19+ B Cells and Reproductive Outcome in Women with Recurrent Implantation Failure

To investigate the roles of T, B, and natural killer (NK) cells in pregnancy outcome of women with recurrent implantation failure (RIF).

This retrospective cohort study enrolled 196 patients with RIF. Peripheral lymphocyte subsets were measured before and during pregnancy. The relationship between pregnancy outcome and level of lymphocytes was analyzed.

Peripheral CD19+ B cells in women who experienced miscarriage were significantly lower than those who subsequently had live birth. After adjusting for potential confounders in the multiple logistic regression models, each 1% increment in the peripheral CD19+ B cells before pregnancy [odds ratio (OR): 0.93] and during early pregnancy (OR: 0.83) was associated with a significantly decreased risk of miscarriage (p < 0.05). The risk of mis-carriage in patients with ≥ 15% CD19+ B cells before and during pregnancy was 39% and 21% lower, respectively, than in their counterparts with < 15% CD19+ B cells. The association between CD19+ B cells and the risk of miscarriage was nonlinear.

Measurement of peripheral CD19+ subsets may help predict the pregnancy outcome in women with RIF.