[Determinations of antiovarian antibodies and cellular immunity functions in patients with premature ovarian failure]

To investigate the variations of cellular immunity function and its relationship with antiovarian antibodies (AOAb) in patients with premature ovarian failure (POF).

Serum AOAb, T-lymphocyte subsets and leukocyteprocoagulant activity (LPCA) to ovarian antigens of peripheral blood were examined in 30 normal women (control group) and 30 patients with POF (POF group).

The mean serum AOAb level in POF group was significantly higher than that in control group (6.80 +/- 1.9 kU/L vs 1.39 +/- 0.72 kU/L, P < 0.01). The percentage of CD3+, CD4+ cells increased significantly (65.42 +/- 5.31% and 44.79 +/- 5.90%, respectively), the percentage of CD8- cells was significantly lower (25.63 +/- 4.26%) and the ratio of CD4+/CD8+ increased (1.66 +/- 0.27) in POF group when compared with control group (P < 0.01). The positive rate of AOAb in patients who had elevated ratio of CD4+/CD8+ was significantly higher than those with normal CD4+/CD8+ ratio (85.7%, 18/21 vs 3/9; P < 0.01). The level of LPCA was elevated in POF patients with positive AOAb, and was correlated positively with the level of AOAb (chi 2 = 8.378, P < 0.01).

These data showed that cellular immunity and humoral immunity to ovarian antigens can be concurrently produced in POF patients, and suggested that pathogenesis of POF may be associated with immune factors.