PECULIARITIES OF ALLOGENIC INTERACTIONS IN THE SHORT-TERM CULTURE OF LYMPHOCYTES OF SPOUSES WHO HAVE CHILDREN WITH CONGENITAL HEART DISEASES OR EARLY REPRODUCTIVE LOSSES

Abstract

We have studied HLA allogeneic interactions in short-term cultures of lymphocytes from the parents having children with congenital heart defects (CHD), or subject to early reproductive losses. Twentyone married couples (CHD as the main group) who had children with sporadic CHD (interventricular septal defect) without chromosomal diseases were observed. Fifty married couples (a comparison group) had two or more reproductive losses in early gestation (up to 9 weeks), denoted as PNPs (miscarriages, missed abortions, habitual miscarriages. Forty-one families with three or more healthy children represented a control group. Immune response in cell cultures was evaluated by increasing expression of HLA-DR in a mixed culture, as compared to spontaneous lymphocyte cultures. Initial labeling of female and male lymphocytes with monoclonal antibodies to CD45 conjugated to different fluorescent dyes (PC-5 and PC-7) allowed us to evaluate the immune response of female lymphocytes to males and vice versa. The suppressor effect of autologous female serum upon the mixed culture of the lymphocytes of the spouses was also evaluated. Results of the present study showed a difference in HLA allogeneic interactions in the short-term culture of lymphocytes registered for spouses with reproductive losses and children with congenital heart defects. Reproductive losses were associated with a low blocking effect of female auto-serum upon allogeneic HLA interactions in the short-term culture of the lymphocytes of the spouses. Congenital heart defects were associated with high activity of female B-lymphocytes (CD3-/HL-DR+) in short-term mixed culture of lymphocytes from the spouses.