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Prevalence and Biological Effects of Anti‐Trophoblast and Anti‐Endothelial Cell Antibodies in Patients with Recurrent Spontaneous Abortions
Author(s) -
Tedesco F.,
Nardon E.,
Pausa M.,
Bulla R.,
Narchi G.,
Guaschino S.,
Livi C.,
Meroni PL.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
american journal of reproductive immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.071
H-Index - 97
eISSN - 1600-0897
pISSN - 1046-7408
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0897.1997.tb00300.x
Subject(s) - antibody , trophoblast , monoclonal antibody , umbilical vein , endothelial stem cell , immunofluorescence , microbiology and biotechnology , immunology , biology , andrology , placenta , medicine , pregnancy , fetus , in vitro , biochemistry , genetics
PROBLEM: Trophoblasts and endothelial cells represent a potential target for antibodies in women with recurrent spontaneous abortions. These antibodies have been shown to be associated with anti‐phospholipid antibodies. Are they also present in women with unexplained pregnancy losses in the absence of anti‐phospholipid antibodies? METHOD OF STUDY: The anti‐trophoblast antibodies were tested by an immunofluorescence assay on cells purified from pooled first‐trimester placentae, whereas the anti‐endothelial cell antibodies were measured by enzyme‐linked immunoadsorbent assay (ELISA) on cells isolated from the umbilical vein and were cultured to confluence. The cytotoxicity of trophoblasts was evaluated in a homologous system. The expression of adhesion molecules on endothelial cells was quantitated by ELISA using specific monoclonal antibodies, and the expression of tissue factor was quantitated by a chromogenic assay measuring the formation of factor Xa. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Complement‐fixing antibodies to trophoblast represent a better marker to discriminate patients with recurrent spontaneous abortions from controls and are cytotoxic for the target cells. Anti‐endothelial antibodies are also present in these patients and exhibit pro‐inflammatory and pro‐coagulant activities.