Reconstitution of humoral immunity during pregnancy

BACKGROUND: Recently, increasing attention has been paid to hormonal regula tions of the immune system. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study, cord sera and the corresponding mater nal sera were obtained at delivery. Sera from pregnant women were obtained at early, middle, and late stages of pregnancy. These sera were tested for titer and avidity of measles or mumps virus-specific immunoglobulin G (IgG) by means of a single-dilution. urea-denaturation enzyme-linked immunosorbe nt assay method. RESULTS: A positive and significant correlation was found between the titer and avidity of the virus-specific Igc, both in the cord sera and in the ma ternal sera. This correlation was established already at the early stage of pregnancy. There were no such correlations found in nonpregnant individual s. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first observation in human subjects that the avidi ty and concentration of the virus-specific IgG had a positive and significa nt correlation. Pregnancy must have some significant effects on the regulat ion of humoral immunity.