An early pregnancy factor detected in human serum by the rosette inhibition test.

Modification of maternal lymphocyte activity has been demonstrated early in pregnancy by the rosette inhibition test. Normal human lymphocytes showed a similar depression of activity after incubation in serum from pregnant women, indicating that the response was caused by a serum factor. This early pregnancy factor has been differentiated from other substances which appear later in pregnancy and which may also be involved in the suppression of the maternal response. The results of this investigation suggest that the early pregnancy factor may be necessary for the continued viability of the early embryo.