INFLUENCE OF HISTOCOMPATIBILITY ANTIGENS IN RECURRENT SPONTANEOUS-ABORTION AND ITS RELEVANCE TO LEUKOCYTE IMMUNOTHERAPY

A total of 108 couples with recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA) were studied to investigate the possible influence of histocompatibility an tigens (HLA) on their condition and its management. HLA-B18 was shown to be at a higher frequency in RSA women, but not significantly so aft er statistical correction. Just over half the RSA women shared two or more HLA-A, B or DR antigens with their partners (P < 0.01), but this group did not differ from the others in clinical or laboratory feature s, nor in subsequent pregnancy success rate. Leukocyte immunotherapy i n which the donor shared at least one HLA-DR antigen with his partner was not associated with a significant improvement in subsequent pregna ncy outcome compared with HLA-DR mismatched immunotherapy. HLA antibod y production following leukocyte immunotherapy was influenced by both inoculum size and degree of HLA incompatibility, but had no effect on birthweight. Tissue-typing investigations are not indicated for indivi dual RSA patients seeking advice or treatment.