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Immune Testing For Infertility
There is currently much debate going on in the scientific community about the role of the immune system in promoting or preventing a healthy pregnancy. There is a view pioneered by late Dr Alan Beer that the products of an activated immune system could damage the placenta and cause miscarriage, as well as damage the embryo and cause implantation failure. Natural killer cells, which help to keep the body from developing cancer, can over-populate the uterus or exist at too high levels within the blood stream. These cells then go overboard, killing the embryo or interfering with the endocrine system that produces the hormones that are essential for pregnancy.
At The Fertility & Gynaecology Academy we carry out a comprehensive group of tests to check different aspects of your immune system and related clotting factors (thrombophilia). These include testing for: Antibodies, Natural Killer Cell Assay, TH1/TH2 Intracellular Cytokine Ratio, Gene Mutation of Factor II, Factor V and MTHFR, Leukocyte Antibody Detection (LAD) or Paternal Leukocyte Antibodies (PLA) and DQa genes.
Once we have identified the problem, we can provide relevant supportive immune therapy: Steroids, Clexane, IVIg, Intralipids and Lymphocyte Immune Therapy (LIT).
Please also refer to our Reproductive Immunology section for further information.