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A longitudinal investigation of the mixed lymphocyte culture (MLC) response during pregnancy between mother and father, between mother and child, and between the mother and an indifferent lymphocyte pool has been carried out, using starting values before pregnancy and a cryobiological freezing system that allows in vitro playback of the immunological course of pregnancy. Lymphocyte and serum samples from twenty-two pregnant women taken before and during pregnancy, at delivery, and after delivery were used. The study shows that the mother reacts during the course of pregnancy with an increasing MLC response to the father, which is replaced at delivery by a decrease in response and a subsequent increase after delivery. It is also shown that the mother reacts to the child in a similar manner at about half the level of reaction to the father. The mother also reacts similarly to a pool of indifferent lymphocytes. The MLC reactions mentioned are affected by both non-pregnant and pregnant serum, leading to a moderation of the MLC reaction in relation to that carried out in neutral AH serum. In addition, there seems to be cooperation between cellular and humoral factors, since the MLC reaction to the child carried out in relevant autologous serum seems to show a decreasing response during the course of pregnancy, in accordance with increasing tolerance of the fetal allograft. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a longitudinal analysis of immunological changes in normal human pregnancy, twenty-two pregnant women were studied, with blood samples taken before pregnancy, during its course, at delivery, and 3–5 months after delivery. The blood samples were frozen successively, using a cryobiological freezing system, and were stored until the whole longitudinal series was obtained. The collected material for a longitudinal series was then thawed and tested in one seance. Lymphocyte transformation tests were performed with stimulation with the mitogens phytohaemagglutinin (PHA), pokeweed mitogen (PWM), concanavalin A (Con A) and the specific antigens tuberculin purified protein derivative (PPD), Candida albicans (CA), Staphylococcus aureus (SA) and streptokinase/streptodornase (SK/SD). No changes were found in PHA or in PWM responses, whereas there were significant changes in the Con A response, with lowest values in the middle of pregnancy. PPD, CA, SA and SK/SD responses all reached lowest values towards the end of pregnancy, with increases subsequently, after delivery. These findings seem to show that T suppressor function is increased and B-lymphocyte function decreases during the course of pregnancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Immunological relationships in pregnancy were investigated in a longitudinal study of twenty-two pregnant women, whose blood samples were taken before pregnancy, during pregnancy, at delivery, and 3–5 months after delivery. Blood samples were also taken from the fathers and the infants, both at birth and after 3–5 months. All the samples were frozen by means of a cryobiological freezing system, and when a whole longitudinal series had been collected, the material was thawed and tested in a single seance. T and B lymphocytes were studied with rosette tests (E and HEAC rosettes). T and B lymphocytes were found not to change during the course of pregnancy. It is thus concluded that the mother's tolerance of a fetus with a dissimilar tissue type is not exercised via changes in the total count of T and B lymphocytes, although there may well be changes in their subpopulations, with the hypothesis that T-suppressor function increases and B-lymphocyte function decreases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

. A case is reported of a hydatidiform mole accompanied by a serious degree of toxaemia and severe disturbances in the function of the thyroid gland in a 20-year-old primigravida, who was admitted to the department in the 20th week of pregnancy. Clinically the patient showed severe toxaemia with gross oedema, congestion of the lungs, hypertension to approximately 200/ 130 mm Hg and proteinuria of 4.4 g/1000 ml, but no signs of thyrotoxicosis. The toxaemia disappeared within 14 days after treatment by evacuation, blood transfusion, albumin infusion, digitalization, diuretics and antihypertensive agents. Eight hours after removal of the mole an extremely high PBI (24.2 μg/100 ml) and a low serum cholesterol (97 mg/100 ml) were found. Both of these values returned to normal within the course of 14 days. Triiodothyronine uptake on Sephadex G 25 (T3 test) was found to be 101% and fell simultaneously with the changes in the other values to 48%. I131 uptake in the thyroid gland showed increased values 3 weeks after the operation but was normal again 5 weeks later. The values for the thyroid function tests which were found are compared with similar values reported in literature and it is concluded that the changes must be due to the usual effects on thyroid function of a normal pregnancy plus an extra factor, which must be produced by the molar tissue, and which must either be TSH or some other thyroid stimulator. It is recommended that in future TSH activity be determined in plasma and molar tissue in patients with hydatidiform mole and that various thyroid parameters be studied with regard to their possible diagnostic value in cases of hydatidiform mole. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]