Immunotherapy For Miscarriages Comes Up Short

OB/GYN News, Oct 15, 1999 by Winnie Anne Imperio

Immunization with paternal mononuclear cells should not be used to prevent recurrent miscarriages, reported Dr. Carole Ober of the University of Chicago and her associates.

Only 46% of 68 pregnant patients who were immunized had a successful pregnancy, compared with 65% of 63 pregnant control patients (Lancet 354[91761]:365-69, 1999).

In a randomized, double-blind study, 86 women were immunized with paternal mononuclear cells while 85 women received an equivalent volume of sterile saline. Those who were not pregnant within 6 months were reimmunized with their initial treatment and were followed up 6 months later.

Among immunized patients, 68 became pregnant; 31 successfully completed 7 months of gestation. Among control patients, 63 became pregnant, and 41 completed 7 months.

The miscarriages in the treatment group tended to take place later in gestation; all losses occurring after 9 weeks were in the treatment group.

The higher rates of miscarriage in the treatment group suggest that immunotherapy with paternal mononuclear cells may even increase the rate of clinically recognized miscarriages, the investigators commented.