Related Experiment Videos
The reproductive autoimmune failure syndrome
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Mount Sinai Hospital Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60608.
American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology
|July 1, 1988
Summary
Reproductive failure can stem from abnormal autoimmune function, even in women without diagnosed autoimmune diseases. This condition, termed reproductive autoimmune failure syndrome, highlights the immune system's complex role in pregnancy.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive immunology
- Autoimmunity
Background:
- The link between reproductive failure and autoimmune dysfunction is well-established, particularly in conditions like systemic lupus erythematosus.
- Recent research indicates that women with humoral abnormalities, similar to those in diagnosed autoimmune diseases but lacking clinical symptoms, also experience reproductive failure.
Purpose of the Study:
- To define reproductive autoimmune failure syndrome as a distinct diagnostic entity.
- To explore the potential teleological relationship between reproductive autoimmune failure syndrome and the physiological need for enhanced maternal immune tolerance during pregnancy.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing evidence linking autoimmune function to reproductive outcomes.
- Analysis of autoantibody levels in women compared to men to understand sex-based differences in immune tolerance.
Main Results:
- Clinically asymptomatic individuals with autoimmune abnormalities can experience reproductive failure.
- Elevated autoantibody levels in women compared to men suggest a higher baseline need for immune self-tolerance.
- This heightened immune tolerance requirement may contribute to the increased incidence of autoimmune diseases in women.
Conclusions:
- Reproductive autoimmune failure syndrome is proposed as a diagnostic entity.
- The syndrome may arise from an abnormal autoimmune response, impacting various stages of reproduction.
- Pregnancy necessitates increased maternal immune self-tolerance, a factor potentially linked to both reproductive failure and higher autoimmune disease prevalence in women.