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Immunological capacity and immune complexes of normal and abnormal pregnancy
46 IMMUNOLOGICAL CAPACITY AND rW~DNE COMPLEXES OF NORMAL AND ABNORMAL PREGNANCY. Tatsuo Yamamoto,Kazuo Imai, Ken Yagi,Atsumasa Hayakawa,Yasumasa Kondo and Shigeo Tak~i. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nihon University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan. Pregnancy may be considered a successful intrauterine allograft of genetically alien tissue. We examined the i~munocapacity of pregnant women by protein-A blastogenesis and B-cell subsets of the B-cell system,PHA blastogenesis and Tcell subsets of the T-cell system,and activity of alkaline phosphatase and NBT reduction of the phagocytic system. Immune complexes of the IgG and IgM type in the sera were measured using Clq solid phase EL!SA. The im~unocapacity in normal pregnant women showed a marked activation of the phagocytic system, suppressed T-cell system,and no changes in the B-cell system,whereas in~nune complexes were generated duril~ pregnancy and showed decreased levels in the 3rd trimester. The changes of im~unocapacity of abnormal pregnancy,abortion and toxemia,showed various speclficities and large sized IgM i~nune complexes were detected in cases of toxemia. It is tempting to speculate that the altered immunocapacity and the presence of in~nune complexes play an important role in the course of pregnancy and may be etiologic factors in pathologic pregnancy.
IV. Antibodies to G a m e t e s in Infertility
COMPARISON OF SPERMAGGLUTINATINGAND SPERMIMMOBILISING ANTIBODIES IN MEN AND WOMEN KAY, D.j. and BOETTCHER, B. Department of Biological Sciences, University of Newcastle, N.S.W. 2 3 0 8 A u s t r a l i a . In 1981 our laboratory reported on f i n d i n g a s i g n i f i c a n t difference between the reaction patterns in antispermatozoal antibodies from women l i v i n g in widely separated c i t i e s . I t was proposed that this r ef lec t e d differences in the stimulating antigens. A s i m i l a r approach has been u t i l i s e d to examine differences in the response to spermatozoal antigens by men and women. On this occasion regression analysis was conducted between the spermimmobilising and spermagglutinating (G.A.T.) t i t r e s in sera from i n f e r t i l e men, vasectomised men and i n f e r t i l e women. The regression c o e f f i c i e n t f o r i n f e r t i l e men (b = 0.627 ± 0.175) was consistent with the proposition that higher t i t r e s of spermagglutinating antibodies producedspermimmobilisation in the presence of complement, whereas that f o r i n f e r t i l e women was not (b = -0.036 ± 0.34). These c o e f f i c i e n t s are s i g n i f i c a n t l y d i f f e r e n t (p < 0.05). I t is suggested that men and women respond to d i f f e r e n t spermatozoal antigens, or a l t e r n a t i v e l y , that the same antigens are processed d i f f e r e n t l y , r es u lt in g in a d i f f e r e n t array of antibodies.
IV. Antibodies to G a m e t e s in Infertility
COMPARISON OF SPERMAGGLUTINATINGAND SPERMIMMOBILISING ANTIBODIES IN MEN AND WOMEN KAY, D.j. and BOETTCHER, B. Department of Biological Sciences, University of Newcastle, N.S.W. 2 3 0 8 A u s t r a l i a . In 1981 our laboratory reported on f i n d i n g a s i g n i f i c a n t difference between the reaction patterns in antispermatozoal antibodies from women l i v i n g in widely separated c i t i e s . I t was proposed that this r ef lec t e d differences in the stimulating antigens. A s i m i l a r approach has been u t i l i s e d to examine differences in the response to spermatozoal antigens by men and women. On this occasion regression analysis was conducted between the spermimmobilising and spermagglutinating (G.A.T.) t i t r e s in sera from i n f e r t i l e men, vasectomised men and i n f e r t i l e women. The regression c o e f f i c i e n t f o r i n f e r t i l e men (b = 0.627 ± 0.175) was consistent with the proposition that higher t i t r e s of spermagglutinating antibodies producedspermimmobilisation in the presence of complement, whereas that f o r i n f e r t i l e women was not (b = -0.036 ± 0.34). These c o e f f i c i e n t s are s i g n i f i c a n t l y d i f f e r e n t (p < 0.05). I t is suggested that men and women respond to d i f f e r e n t spermatozoal antigens, or a l t e r n a t i v e l y , that the same antigens are processed d i f f e r e n t l y , r es u lt in g in a d i f f e r e n t array of antibodies.