Abstract
PROBLEM: Incipient ovarian failure (IOF) is characterized by regular menstrual cycles, infertility and a raised early-follicular FSH in women under 40. IOF might be a precursor or a mitigated form of premature ovarian failure (POF). Disturbances in the immune system may play a role in ovarian failure.
METHOD OF STUDY: Autoantibodies and lymphocyte subsets were determined in 3 POF patients, 50 IOF patients, and 27 controls.
RESULTS: The prevalence of autoantibodies did not differ between the groups. There was a statistically significant difference in lymphocyte subsets between the control group and the POF group, with the IOF group taking an intermediate position. We found a decrease in percentage of T-suppressor cells with a rise in T-helper/T-suppressor cell ratio, a decrease in natural killer cells, and an increase in B lymphocytes and HLA-DR positive T cells.
CONCLUSIONS: These data support the concept that IOF is a mitigated form of POF. The question remains whether these changes are the cause or the consequence of the ovarian failure.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 359-366 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| Journal | American Journal of Reproductive Immunology |
| Volume | 43 |
| Issue number | 6 |
| Publication status | Published - Jun-2000 |
| Event | 20th Annual Meeting of the American-Society-for-Reproductive-Immunology - Duration: 10-Jun-2000 → 13-Jun-2000 |
Keywords
- autoantibodies
- incipient
- lymphocyte subsets
- ovarian failure
- premature
- FOLLICLE-STIMULATING-HORMONE
- T-CELL SUBSETS
- LYMPHOCYTE SUBSETS
- AUTOIMMUNE-DISEASE
- MYASTHENIA-GRAVIS
- PERIPHERAL-BLOOD
- IMMUNE-RESPONSE
- INFERTILE WOMEN
- NK CELLS
- ANTIBODIES