Pre-implantation endometrial leukocytes in women with recurrent miscarriage

Immunohistochemistry was used to investigate the leukocyte populations in t he endometrium of women suffering recurrent miscarriage, Mid-luteal phase e ndometrial biopsies were taken from 22 patients with idiopathic recurrent m iscarriage and from nine women with normal obstetric histories, The samples were dated histologically and stained with a panel of monoclonal antibodie s to identify leukocytes, The outcome of any pregnancy in subsequent cycles following the biopsy was determined. Similar numbers of cluster designatio n (CD)3(+) and CD8(+) cells were seen in both groups, However, CD4(+), CD14 (+), CD16(+), CD56(+) and MHC class II+ cells were significantly higher in the recurrent miscarriage group than in the controls. Two patients had B ce lls (CD22(+)) in their endometrium, No CD57(+) cells were seen in the contr ols; however eight of the patients had a few CD57(+) cells present, Only tw o patients, both from the recurrent miscarriage group, had CD69(+) leukocyt es in their endometrium, Patients who had miscarriages following endometria l biopsy had significantly more CD4(+), CD8(+), CD14(+), CD16(+), and CD56( +) leukocytes in their endometrium than either those who had live births or women with proven fertility. A different population of leukocytes was foun d in the pre-implantation endometrium from recurrent miscarriage patients a s compared to those from fertile controls, These differences were accentuat ed in women who had a miscarriage subsequent to the biopsy compared with th ose who subsequently had a Live birth.