Lymphocyte subpopulations after normal pregnancy and spontaneous abortion in primigravidas

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate lymphocyte subpopulations after a first pregnancy in women who had normal pregnancies and in those whose pregnancies terminated in spontaneous abortion. STUDY DESIGN: Sixty healthy, nonpregnant women in three groups were studied : 20 with a prior abortion, 20 with a prior normal pregnancy and 20 nulligr avid. Peripheral blood lymphocytes were studied using monoclonal antibodies and flow cytometry. Women were followed for one year, and if they became p regnant again, pregnancy complications were recorded. RESULTS: The percentage of B lymphocytes was significantly decreased in the postpartum group (6% +/- 2.22) in comparison to nulligravid women (8.7% +/ - 3.37) (P =.005). The percentage of CD4 lymphocytes was significantly high er in the postabortion group (44.7% +/- 7.81) in relation to the control gr oup (39.85%+/-6.01) (p=.03). A significantly higher CD4/CD8 ratio was found in the postabortion group in relation to the control group (1.65 vs. 1.24) (P=.01). Women with pregnancy complications in their next pregnancy had a lower absolute value for total lymphocytes (P=.02), T lymphocytes (P=.04), absolute CD8 lymphocytes (P=.01) and percentage of CD8 lymphocytes (P=.02) and a higher percentage of CD4 lymphocytes (P=.03) and higher CD4/CD8 ratio (P=.02) than women who had not experienced any pregnancy complications. CONCLUSION: The percentage of B lymphocytes was lower in normal primipara i n comparison to women who had never been pregnant. Women with previous spon taneous abortions had an immunologic profile expected in a rejection phenom enon; that result was more marked if they went on to experience complicatio ns in their next pregnancies.