The relationship between immunohormonal parameters and increased cytotoxic lymphocyte levels in women with early pregnancy loss living in the North

Aim: to reveal a relationship between immunohormonal parameters and increased cytotoxic T-lymphocyte levels in peripheral venous blood in women of reproductive age with early miscarriage at 3–6 weeks, living in the European North of the Russian Federation.

Materials and Methods. A retrospective observational study was conducted, 107 women of reproductive age 20–30 years old living in the European North of the Russian Federation (Arkhangelsk region, 64˚33' s) were examined: 55 of them were practically healthy women at the time of examination, with a history of term pregnancy and birth of a healthy child, and 52 patients with single miscarriage in the early stages of 3–6 weeks. The hemogram, count of lymphocytes with CD3+CD8+, CD4+, CD10+, CD16+, CD56+, CD3+CD16+CD56+, CD3-CD16+CD56+ receptors, level of sCD16, sCD56, cytokines such as interleukins (IL) IL-1β, IL-6, IL-10, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interferon gamma (IFN-γ), immunoglobulins of classes A, M, G, E, circulating immune complexes (CIC), levels of sex hormones – follicle-stimulating (FSH) and luteinizing (LH) hormones, prolactin, progesterone, estradiol, testosterone were assessed. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, comparative and logistic regression analyses, with odds ratio (OR), relative risk (RR), and 95 % confidence interval calculated.

Results. 65.39 % of women with early miscarriages had elevated levels of cytotoxic T-lymphocytes, combined with high count of natural killer (57.69 %) cells, sCD56, and sCD16 (98.08%). In the peripheral venous blood of the patients, degenerative forms of blood cells with toxogenic granularity, nuclear apoptosis, and cytosolic vacuolization were detected, as well as hypochromic erythrocytes, echinocytes, acanthocytes, and aggregation of erythrocytes and platelets, evidencing about suppressed bone marrow cell functional activity as an unfavorable sign of pregnancy course.

Conclusion. The immunohormonal parameters associated with increased levels of cytotoxic lymphocytes in women with miscarriage included high level of natural killers, mature T-lymphocytes, proliferative lymphocytes, increased concentrations of sCD16, sCD56, and endothelin-1 along with lower levels of FSH and LH.

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