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[Involvement of histocompatibility and allosensitization in recurrent abortions]
G Barrenetxea1, A D Echanojáuregui, C Pérez
1Departamento de Ginecología y Obstetricia, Hospital de Cruces, Universidad del País Vasco, Baracaldo, Vizcaya.
Background:
The aim of this study was to know the possible implication of human histocompatibility (HLA) antigens in the etiology of repeated abortions.
Methods:
Antigen typing for the major histocompatibility system was carried out in 65 couples with 2 or more abortions and comparative analysis was performed with 40 fertile couples by the odds ratio. Likewise, the possible relationship between cytotoxic antibodies in maternal serum and reproductive prognosis was determined.
Results:
The couples with abortions did not present a significantly different phenotypic frequency from that of the fertile couples in regard to the HLA antigens (loci HLA-A, HLA-B, and HLA-DR). On considering the 3 loci studied, the infertile couples presented significantly higher antigenic HLA identity than the fertile couples. This significance was demonstrable both by association and by odds ratio (OR: 4.9; CI 95%; 1.1-9.2). No differences were observed among women with primary (no full term pregnancy) or secondary abortions (some full term pregnancies) with regard to common HLA antigens, with both groups being homogeneous.
Conclusions:
The presence of cytotoxic antibodies against paternal lymphocytes in maternal serum detected by cross-match reaction was not related to the pertaining to an infertile (including any of the established subgroups) or fertile population. Neither were differences observed in the presence of these antibodies among women with primary or secondary abortions.