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Altered immunophenotypic parameters in infertile women. Possible role of herpes viremia.

Thomas D, Michou V, Moustakarias T, Aleporou V, Matzavinos T, Mitsakos-Barbagiannis K, Kalofoutis A, Tsilivakos V

Department of infertility, Locus Medicus Laboratory, Athens, Greece. locus@otenet.gr

PROBLEM: Purpose of this study was to reveal any alteration in peripheral blood lymphocytic concentrations of a large cohort of infertile women and to investigate the possible role of herpes viremia in the peripheral immunostimulation. METHOD OF STUDY: The immunophenotypic characteristics and the presence of herpes viruses DNA in the peripheral blood of 168 infertile women were studied. RESULTS: Peripheral CD56+/CD16+ natural killer (NK) cell concentration, CD56+/CD16- NK cell concentration, white blood cell (WBC) concentration and lymphocyte concentration were statistically correlated to herpes viremia. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) viremia is related with a limited reduction of CD56+/CD16- cell levels in the peripheral blood of infertile women with regard to the rest of herpes viruses. High T-lymphocyte concentration, CD4+ T-cell concentration and CD8+ T-cell concentration was observed in women positive for three different kinds of herpes viruses (triple viremia) in the peripheral blood. CONCLUSIONS: Assuming that all women under study remained asymptomatic, these data suggest that subclinical herpesvirus viremia may be an important cause of peripheral immunostimulation in women with a history of infertility.

Published 17 August 2005 in Am J Reprod Immunol, 54(2): 101-11.
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