Abnormal immunoglobulin subclass patterns in women with a history of recurrent miscarriage

Objective: To determine whether IgG subclass patterns differed between nonp regnant women, healthy pregnant women, and pregnant women with a history of recurrent miscarriage. Design: Controlled clinical study. Setting: An academic setting. Patient(s): Group 1 was comprised of 10 nonpregnant women, group 2 of 10 he althy pregnant women, group 3 of eight pregnant women with a history of rec urrent miscarriage and whose pregnancies on this occasion went to term, and group 4 of 10 women with a history of recurrent miscarriage whose pregnanc ies again failed later in the first trimester. Intervention(s): None of the patients received any medication. Main Outcome Measure(s): Serum levels of total IgG and IgG 1, 2, 3, and 4. Result(s): The results obtained showed that normal pregnancy was associated with a significant increase in total IgG production and an increase in IgG subclasses 1, 2, and 3. Women with a history of miscarriage, but who had a successful pregnancy on Us occasion, showed a similar pattern of IgG subcl asses. Women with a history of miscarriage and whose pregnancy again ended in miscarriage showed a different IgG subclass pattern. Conclusion(s): Pregnancies that ended in miscarriage showed a different pat tern of IgG subclasses than those that continued to term. The changes seen in immunoglobulin patterns could be linked to changes in cytokine productio n. (C) 2001 by American Society for Reproductive Medicine.