Phagocyte activity in the peripheral blood of pregnant women with systemic lupus erythematosus and in the cord blood of their newborns.

Aim: To detect faults in phagocytosis in peripheral blood cells of pregnant women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and in cord blood of their newborns.

Methods: Pregnant women fulfilled ≥ 4 American College of Rheumatology criteria for SLE and their newborns were recruited. Pregnant women without SLE and their newborns constituted controls.

The relationship of seminal transforming growth factor-β1 and interleukin-18 with reproductive success in women exposed to seminal plasma during IVF/ICSI treatment.

It has been proposed that the transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 present in seminal plasma (SP) triggers a female immune response favorable for implantation. We hypothesize that seminal interleukin (IL)-18, a cytokine that can potentially cause implantation failure, interferes with the beneficial effect of TGF-β1. This study aims to determine whether the levels of seminal TGF-β1 and IL-18 are associated with reproductive outcomes in patients exposed to SP during in vitro fertilization (IVF) or IVF with intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI).

Interrelationships between Immune and Reproductive Systems in Human.

The possibility for normal reproductive functioning in healthy, fertile women exists due to the presence of unique immunologic barriers, and also due to harmonic functioning of immunoregulatory mechanisms. It is believed that cytokines produced by activated lymphocytes, monocytes and macrophages, such as interleukin-1, interleukin-6, gamma-interferon and others, affect the processes of fertilization, development and implantation of the fertile egg in the uterus, and this may be a reason for habitual miscarriage and infertility. One of the most interesting and insufficiently studied trends of reproduction immunology undoubtedly remains the study of immune relationships between the mother and the fetus.