IngentaConnect High Levels of Peripheral Blood NK Cells in Women Suffering from ...

Authors: Perricone, Roberto¹; Muzio, Gioia Di¹; Perricone, Carlo¹; Giacomelli, Roberto²; Nardo, Domenico De¹; Fontana, Luigi¹; Carolis, Caterina De³

Source: American Journal of Reproductive Immunology, Volume 55, Number 3, March 2006 , pp. 232-239(8)

Publisher: Blackwell Publishing

Abstract:

Problem

To determine the levels of peripheral blood natural killer (NK) cells in healthy women and recurrent aborters, and the effect of intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIGs) on these levels. Method of study

A total of 659 women were evaluated for NK cells by means of flow cytofluorimetry: 42 non-pregnant healthy women, 394 non-pregnant recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA) women, 36 pregnant healthy women and 187 pregnant RSA women. Fifty-four of the pregnant RSA women were treated with IVIG; in 18 of them NK cells were measured immediately before and after the very first IVIG infusion (0.5 g/kg body weight). Results

Blood NK cell results were increased in RSA pregnant/non-pregnant women, and significantly reduced by IVIG, even after the very first infusion. In RSA pregnant women treated by means of IVIG therapy, 92.3% success rate was observed. Conclusions

High levels of NK cells are detected in women affected by RSA. IVIGs are capable of decreasing them with a short- and long-term efficacy, allowing having a very high success rate of pregnancies in RSA women.

Keywords: Cytokine balance; IVIG therapy; spontaneous abortion

Document Type: Research article

DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0897.2005.00356.x

Affiliations: 1: Department of Internal Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy; 2: Department of Internal Medicine, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy; 3: UO (Center) for the Prevention, Diagnosis and Therapy of Recurrent Spontaneous Abortion, ASL RMC, Rome, Italy

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High Levels of Peripheral Blood NK Cells in Women Suffering from Recurrent Spontaneous Abortion are Reverted from High-Dose Intravenous Immunoglobulins