UP-REGULATED EXPRESSION OF CD56+, CD56+ CD16+, AND CD19+ CELLS IN PERIPHERAL-BLOOD LYMPHOCYTES IN PREGNANT-WOMEN WITH RECURRENT PREGNANCY LOSSES/

PROBLEM: To analyze immunophenotypic profiles of peripheral blood and humoral autoimmune responses in women with a history of recurrent spon taneous abortions (RSA). METHOD: Peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets b y flow cytometry and autoantibodies to phospholipids and nuclear compo nents by ELISA were measured in non pregnant and pregnant women with R SA of unknown etiology. Thirty-five pregnant and eighty-one nonpregnan t women with RSA were studied. Seventeen nonpregnant and twenty-two pr egnant normal controls were included. RESULTS: Natural killer (NK) cel ls (CD56+) were significantly elevated in nonpregnant women with RSA a s compared with nonpregnant controls. Pregnant women with RSA dem onst rated significantly increased NK (CD56+, CD56+/CD16+) and B cells (CD1 9+) as compared with pregnant controls. Women who miscarried the index pregnancy demonstrated significantly lower CD3+ cells in comparison w ith normal controls. Women with RSA and antiphospholipid antibodies sh owed significantly elevated NK cells when compared with women without antiphospholipid antibodies. Women with autoantibodies to nuclear comp onents demonstrated significantly elevated CD19+/CD5+ cells when compa red to women without autoantibodies to nuclear components. CONCLUSIONS : Women with RSA demonstrate an abnormal cellular immune response by i ncreasing peripheral natural killer cells and B cells as compared with normal controls.