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

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.

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.

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).

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.