Significance Changes in Phagocytes Chemotoxine in Pregnant Women

Abstract

Pregnant Women have an increased risk for some infections, particularly during the last trimester. Phagocyte emigration from the circulation into tissues is an important aspect of the initial immune response. There for, circulating phagocytes of 42 pregnant and 15 post partum patients were studied in vitro for random and chemotactic (or directional) migration by agarose gel. Random migration of phagocytes for all 42 pregnant patients studied in each trimester was with in normal limits, chemotactic migration of 25 patients who were between 6 and 33 weeks of pregnancy was also similar to values obtained with control leucocytes (20 non- pregnant normal female). However phagocytes of 17 other women studied between week 34 of pregnancy and term showed marked depressions in chemotoxis during labor and with in 3 days delivery, chemotactic migration increased to supernormal levels in 14 of 15 women studied. Sera from 6 pregnant patients with proven chemotactic defects did not reduce migration when incubated with normal phagocytes. These chemotactic defects appear to be intrinsic and may be important in predisposing to infections during late pregnancy.