HLA antigens-antibodies system and its association with severe toxemia of pregnancy.

HLA antigens and antibodies were investigated in order to study the relationship between severe toxemia of pregnancy (toxemia) and the HLA system, which is in a close relationship with the immune response. The frequencies of 8 HLA-A antigens, 21 HLA-B antigens, 10 HLA-DR antigens and 4 HLA-MT antigens were determined in 21 patients with toxemia and their husbands and some of their children, 45 fertile couples without a history of abnormal pregnancy and 206 healthy adult controls (DR were in 106 controls). Sera from toxemias and normal pregnant women in the 3rd. trimester and postpartum intra-uterine blood in women with normal deliveries were tested for Warm-T and Warm-B cell antibody against 30 panel lymphocytes. Results obtained were as follows: In toxemic couples there is a much higher incidence of HLA-DR and MT sharing between wives and husbands, mothers and children. In those sera with toxemias, there is a higher incidence of Warm-T antibody and a lower incidence of Warm-B antibody compared with those with a normal pregnancy. From the immunogenetic point of view, when the HLA-DR X MT locus of a certain fetus is homozygous, the mother tends to manifest toxemia. These results indicated that matching of HLA-DR X MT loci in parents possibly plays a role in causing severe toxemia, and genetic prediction of its onset and prognosis can be carried out through HLA typing.