Antibodies to trophoblast in normal pregnant and secondary aborting women.

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) with the use of chorionic villous plasma membranes prepared from first trimester and term placentae were employed to detect antibodies to trophoblast in normal primigravid women. Normal pregnant women were found to produce IgG antibodies to trophoblast. These antibodies could be eluted from first trimester placentae. This antibody response was observed in the first trimester and gradually decreased as pregnancy progressed. IgM antibody responses were observed only in the third trimester. Antibodies in some primigravid women and secondary recurrent aborters showed allotypic reactivity with individual trophoblast membranes. This finding was confirmed by immunoblotting experiments in which antibodies from some normal pregnant women were shown to recognize the same trophoblast antigens as those recognized by antibodies from secondary recurrent spontaneous aborters.