Abstract
SummaryThis report presents a detailed evaluation of the role of maternal serum sialomucins, determined as seromucoid, in normal pregnancy. These substances effectively block the maternal recognition of fetal antigens in first and possibly second, but not in third or subsequent pregnancies. They act not only at the fetomaternal interface itself, but also at trophoblast deported to the maternal vascular system. It is suggested that maternal sialomucins generate a polyelectrolyte hydrogel at trophoblastic surfaces, and that an immunologically non‐specific mechanism which depends on the establishment of stable hydration structures could account for the masking of fetal antigens. Attention is drawn to inverse relationships between serum sialomucin levels and thymolymphatic activity, both during and after pregnancy. These relationships suggest that maternal sensitization to fetal antigens normally occurs after the fourth puerperal week following the first pregnancy, and that a second pregnancy may be necessary to establish full maternal sensitization.
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