Patient's question:
I had 2 biochemical pregnancies last year, and the doctor recommended I undergo lymphocyte immune therapy.Doctor's answer:
Recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA) in early pregnancy is a common gynecological condition. Women who experience three or more consecutive spontaneous miscarriages are referred to as having habitual abortion. The etiology is relatively complex; after excluding factors such as genetics, anatomy, endocrinology, and infection, 40%–80% of cases remain unexplained or the cause is unclear. In recent years, with the advancement of reproductive immunology research, breakthroughs in human leukocyte antigen (HLA) typing have led researchers to discover that HLA and its gene products are highly associated with human pregnancy. Further studies have revealed a correlation between RSA and HLA immune responses. Clinically, HLA-DR antibody (i.e., anti-spouse lymphocyte antibody) testing in RSA patients has shown a low positive rate.Recommendation: Lymphocyte immunotherapy: Before undergoing lymphocyte immunotherapy, it is essential to screen for genetic diseases of the reproductive system, sexual hormone levels, infertility, and antibodies related to reproductive health, as well as the patient's infection status.
For active immunization, the husband's lymphocytes are first used. If the husband is not suitable as an immune antigen donor, other healthy males may be selected. Approximately 30 mL of peripheral blood from the donor is collected using heparin anticoagulation and processed under sterile conditions to isolate and extract lymphocytes. The cells are washed three times with physiological saline and adjusted to a concentration of (2–4) × 10? cells/mL, yielding about 3 mL of cell suspension. This suspension is then injected intradermally into the patient's forearm at the 6–8 o'clock positions.
The injections are administered every 2–3 weeks, with four injections constituting one course of treatment. Contraceptive measures should be taken during the treatment process. Two weeks after the course ends, patients with negative HLA-DR antibody results should continue the next course of immunotherapy until the antibody becomes positive.
Once positive, pregnancy should be planned within six months. If pregnancy occurs, a maintenance treatment course should be immediately initiated and continued until around the 16th week of gestation, with close monitoring of early pregnancy symptoms.