Psychosocial Factors Regulating Natural-Killer Cell Activity in Recurrent Spontaneous Abortions

Authors: HORI S.; NAKANO Y.; FURUKAWA T.A.; OGASAWARA M.; KATANO K.; AOKI K.; KITAMURA T.

Source: American Journal of Reproductive Immunology, Volume 44, Number 5, November 2000 , pp. 299-302(4)

Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell

Abstract:

PROBLEM: The preconceptional natural-killer cell (NK) activity predicts subsequent miscarriage among women with unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA). Psycho-neuro-immuno-endocrine network has recently been proposed as a mechanism for abortions. We therefore examined which psychosocial factors influenced the NK activity among women with RSA.

METHOD OF STUDY: We measured the preconceptional NK activity of 61 women with a history two consecutive unexplained first-trimester miscarriages and no live births. We also administered semi-structured interviews and a battery of self-report questionnaires to assess their social support, personality, self-esteem and psychiatric symptoms.

RESULTS: The preconceptional NK activity was negatively correlated with the women's neuroticism personality trait (r=-0.32, P=0.01) and current depressive symptoms (r=-0.26, P=0.05), and positively correlated with their self-esteem (r=0.34, P=0.01).

CONCLUSIONS: In addition to several substances such as transforming-growth-factor beta and granulocyte-macrophase colony-stimulating factor, we found that low neuroticism, low depression scale score and high self-esteem contributed to high NK activity among women with RSA.

Keywords: Depression; natural-killer cell; personality; recurrent spontaneous abortion; self-esteem; social support

Language: English

Document Type: Short communication

Affiliations: Department of Psychiatry, Nagoya City University Medical School, Mizuho-cho, Mizuho-ku, Nagoya 467-8601, Japan Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nagoya City University Medical School, Mizuho-cho, Mizuho-ku, Nagoya 467-8601, Japan Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology II, Josai Municipal Hospital of Nagoya City, 4-1 Kitahata-cho, Nakamura-ku, Nagoya 453-0815, Japan National Institute of Mental Health, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, 1-7-3 Konodai, Ichikawa 272-0827, Japan : *

Publication date: 2000-11-01

• In this: publication
• By this: publisher
• In this Subject: Anatomy & Physiology ,  Allergy & Immunology ,  Obstetrics & Gynecology
• By this author: HORI S. ;  NAKANO Y. ;  FURUKAWA T.A. ;  OGASAWARA M. ;  KATANO K. ;  AOKI K. ;  KITAMURA T.

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