CELLULAR IMMUNE RESPONSE TO HERPESVIRUS ANTIGENS DURING PREGNANCY

Abstract

The cellular immune response of lymphocytes was studied in 27 pregnant females and 25 nonpregnant females of child bearing age by the technique of lymphocyte stimulation (LS) as measured by ³H Thymidine uptake (³HThU) in vitro. LS indices (³HThU in stimulated cells/³HThU in unstimulated cells) were measured using phytohemagglutinin (PHA) and different concentrations (undilute, 1/10, 1/100) of Herpes simplex (HS) type 1, HS type II and cytomegalovirus (CMV) antigens (agns) as stimulants. Complement fixing (CF) liters ≥1:4 to CMV, HSI, HSII were present in 22, 22 and 20 pregnant and in 13, 17 and 15 nonpregnant patients (pts) respectively. In antibody positive pts, LS indices of ≥3 to agns were found in 12/22 (CMV), 22/22 (HSI), and 19/20 (HSII) pregnant; and 12/13 (CMV). 14/17 (HSI) and 13/15 (HSII) nonpregnant pts. When the stimulating agn was diluted, the means of LS indices to HSI and CMV were lower in pregnant as compared to non-pregnant pts., eg. means of LS indices to 1/100 dil CMV agn in 12 nonpregnant pts were 3.28 and 9.75 (p=.02); means of LS indices to 1/100 dil of HSI agn in 22 pregnant and 14 nonpregnant pts were 7.66 and 24.88 (p=.004). No differences were found in means of LS indices to HSII agn or PHA regardless of the dilution. These data indicate that there is depression of cellular immune response to certain Herpesvirus agns during pregnancy.

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