Alteration of TH1 and TH2 cells by intracellular cytokine detection in patients with unexplained recurrent abortion before and after immunotherapy with the husband's mononuclear cells.

Objective: To elucidate the possible mechanisms of immunotherapy for unexplained recurrent aborters using their husband's mononuclear cells.

Design: Prospective clinical study.

Setting: Institutional practice at the Outpatient Clinic for Infertility, Niigata University Medical Hospital.

Patient(s): Fifty-two unexplained recurrent aborters were chosen as an experimental group.

Intervention(s): Each patient was injected with her husband's mononuclear cells as immunotherapy. Peripheral blood was obtained from the patients.

Main Outcome Measure(s): The percentage of CD4-positive cells, TH1 cells, TH2 cells, and the TH1/TH2 ratio were analyzed in the patients before and after immunotherapy. The same analyses were performed in the successful and the unsuccessful group.

Result(s): To date, 42 of the 52 patients have become newly pregnant. Of the 42, 34 patients have already delivered (successful group) and 3 are now pregnant, while the remaining 8 cases experienced repeated abortion (unsuccessful group). The percentage of TH2 cells significantly increased in the total patient population, while the TH1/TH2 ratio significantly decreased in the total patient population and in the successful group.

Conclusion(s): These findings suggest that immunotherapy with the husband's mononuclear cells for unexplained recurrent abortion induces a dominant state of TH2 cells in the patients.