SERUM MARKERS OF IMMUNE ACTIVATION IN WOMEN UNDERGOING IN-VITRO FERTILIZATION AND EMBRYO-TRANSFER

We evaluated serum concentrations of two early and sensitive markers o f immune activation, interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R) and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) in two age-matched groups of in-vitro fe rtilization (IVF)-embryo transfer women, group I (n = 26) without and group II (n = 40) with methylprednisolone (MPD) supplementation of the luteal phase, on the days of oocyte retrieval (sample A) and embryo t ransfer (B), and second (C) and 13th (D) days post-transfer and in 20 normally cycling women (controls) on the day of luteinizing hormone (L H) peak. No difference in the outcome of the IVF-embryo transfer was o bserved between groups I and II. In sample A, both immunomarker concen trations showed no significant difference between the two groups of IV F women, while they were significantly higher (P < 0.01) than values i n controls, In cycles in which conception occurred, significantly high er immunomarker concentrations were observed in sample A of both group s I and II compared with those in unsuccessful cycles of the same grou p. A significant decrease of both sIL-2R and ICAM-1 was noticed in sam ple B only in group II (P < 0.0001 and P < 0.001 respectively; paired t-test) that continued further in the late luteal phase only in the ca se of conception, independently of MPD supplementation. These data sug gest that (i) due to multiple ovulations, IVF-embryo transfer women sh ow elevated concentrations of sIL-2R and ICAM-1 at oocyte retrieval; ( ii) since, even at oocyte retrieval stage, high concentrations of immu nomarkers are associated with IVF-embryo transfer success, sIL-2R and ICAM-1 could be used as early indicators for conception cycles; (iii) transient suppression of T cell activity by MPD supplementation follow ing IVF-embryo transfer does not improve pregnancy rate.