Evaluation of Th1 and Th17 cells cytokines in cell culture stimulated in women with recurrent spontaneous abortion

Abstract

Introduction: Various immunological abnormalities have been reported in women with RSA of unknown aetiologies including autoimmune abnormalities and increased cellular immunity such as elevated natural killer (NK) , Th1 and Th17 cell levels. Th17 and Th1 cells play a central role during inflammation. Th1 cells product cytokines IFN-γ, IL-2 and Th17 cells mainly cytokines IL-17A, F, IL-22. The aim of this study is evaluation of Th1 and Th17 activity in women with recurrent spontaneous abortion. Methods: In this case-control study, 30 women with history of two or more abortion who at least 3 months past after last abortion considered as case group and 30 normal fertile healthy women with at least one delivery as control group. We determined the levels of IL-17A, F and IFN-γ in cell culture supernatant of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) stimulated with the mitogen phytohemagglutinin (PHA) by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method and compared in the two groups. The results obtained using the one-sample kolmogorov-smirnov Test, Kruskal-wallis Test and Spearman were analyzed using SPSS 16 software. Results: The level of IFN- γ in case group was significantly higher than control group (186/53±30/41 versus 88/06±21/44 pg/ml, P < 0.005). Also the level of IL-17 A, F in case group was significantly higher than control group (84/74±21/26 versus 28/41±8 pg/ml, P < 0.01). IFN-γ concentration showed positive correlation with IL-17 A, F in case group (P=0.015, r= 0.455). Conclusion: In this study the increased levels of cytokines IFN- γ and IL-17 A, F in women with recurrent spontaneous abortion shows a propensity of pro inflammation via Th17 and Th1 immunity and may be these cells play a pivotal role in rejecting fetus antigens.

Keywords

• Recurrent Spontaneous Abortion; Cytokine; Th1; Th17