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

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Objective: To determine whether IgG subclass patterns differed between nonpregnant 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 healthy pregnant women, group 3 of eight pregnant women with a history of recurrent miscarriage and whose pregnancies on this occasion went to term, and group 4 of 10 women with a history of recurrent miscarriage whose pregnancies 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 this occasion, showed a similar pattern of IgG subclasses. 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 pattern of IgG subclasses than those that continued to term. The changes seen in immunoglobulin patterns could be linked to changes in cytokine production.