Preventive Immunotherapy for High-Risk Aborters

Vassiliadis S, Athanassakis I*

Department of Biology, University of Crete, Heraklion, Crete, Greece; *Reproductive Immunology Centre, Heraklion, Crete, Greece

Russ. J. Immunol. 1998, April 15, 3 (1), 45-52.

In order to determine whether monitoring of maternal immunostimulation and immunosuppresion during pregnancy indicates the exact need in immunotherapy, maternal and paternal white blood cells from couples with a history of pregnancy failure were submitted to mixed lymphocyte reactions within monthly intervals in the presence or not of maternal serum. The index of maternal immunostimulation (Stimulation Index - SI) and the percentage of immunosuppression obtained from these examinations dictated each time the treatment needed leading to a successful delivery. For correcting the immunostimulation gamma-globulin administration was prescribed, whereas immunosuppresion was corrected by aspirin or heparin. All women who underwent the complete programme examination gave birth to healthy babies. Patients with low SI during pregnancy, who did not undergo the treatment, aborted 1-3 weeks after diagnosis. This is the first ever in detail study conducted in Greece concerning patients with recurrent spontaneous abortions.