Serum levels of immunoregulatory proteins in pregnant women after in vitro fertilization

Objective. To study the serum concentrations of pregnancy-associated a-glycoprotein (a 2PAG), a-macroglobulin (a^MG), trophoblast-specific β-globulin (Tß }G), and lactoferrin (LF) in women with in vitro fertilization (IVF) pregnancy versus those with physiological pregnancy during the early stages of gestation and before delivery. Subject and methods. The investigators determined the serum concentrations of a 2PAG and a 2MG (by quantitative rocket immunoelectrophoresis), LF and Tß 1G (by enzyme immunoassay) in 37 women undergoing IVF (20 women before superovulation and on 15 days after embryo transfer and 17 women prior to delivery) and in 65 physiologically pregnant women (15 women who were 3-5 weeks pregnant and 50 full-term pregnant women before labor). Results. The patients entering the IVF programs were observed to have decreased a 2PAG levels than healthy women and lower serum concentrations of Tß 1G and higher levels of a 2PAG were found in early induced pregnancy than in physiological one. However, the concentrations of the above proteins in full-term pregnancy did not differ in the IVF and control groups. Conclusion. The found differences in study results in the patients undergoing IVF (those before entering the program and those at 3-5 weeks pregnancy), healthy nonpregnant women, and physiologically pregnant women are suggestive of residual manifestations of inflammatory processes and syncytiotrophoblast functional incompetence in early IVF pregnancy. However, when the program outcome is positive, these changes are completely compensated by labor.

in vitro fertilization, assisted reproductive technologies, physiological pregnancy, pregnancy-associated a -glycoprotein, a -macroglobulin, lactoferrin