[The role of circulating immune complexes in pregnancy (author's transl)]

The circulating immune complexes in pregnancy sera have been thought to act immunosuppressively to maternal lymphoid system, and to be one of the cause of toxemia of pregnancy. We detected circulating immune complexes in human pregnancy sera using Raji cell test and polyethylene glycol precipitation. We evaluated the correlation between the titers of immune complexes and inhibition rate of lymphocyte blastogenic responses to PHA as well as Con A. There were significant positive correlation (p less than 0.01, p less than 0.02, respectively). Moreover, we also evaluate the correlation between immune complexes and clinical symptoms of toxemia of pregnancy in items of Gestosis Index. There was no significant correlation at the time of sampling, but highly significant correlation was obtained at the time of admission for labor. The differences of Gestosis Indexes at the time of blood sampling and admission for labor were highly significant in the group of high immune complex titer. The cases of toxemia of pregnancy were found that immune complex increased before the symptoms of toxemia of pregnancy appeared. These results suggest that circulating immune complexes in pregnancy have the role of immunosuppression and act as one of the cause of toxemia of pregnancy.