The effect of prophylactic immune therapy in the III trimester on indicators of immune status in pregnant women with HCV infection

Аim - to study the effect of prophylactic immune therapy in the III trimester on indicators of immune status in pregnant women with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection for the prevention of vertical transmission of hepatitis C virus from mother to child. Materials and methods. A prospective clinical and statistical analysis of the immune status at 28 and 36 weeks of pregnancy was conducted in 74 women with HCV infection, the Group I - 40 pregnant women who received recombinant interferon, the Group II - 34 pregnant women who did not receive it. The control group (CG) consisted of 30 healthy pregnant women. The immunological examination was carried out during 28-36 weeks of pregnancy and included: determination of the absolute and relative number of lymphocyte subpopulations CD3+ (T-lymphocytes), CD4+ (helper-inducers), CD8+ (suppressors), immunoregulatory index (IRI) - ratio of CD4+/CD8+, CD19+ (B-lymphocytes); determination of IgG, IgM, IgA levels; IFN-α content. Statistical processing of research results was carried out using standard programs "Microsoft Excel 5.0" and "Statistica 8.0" Results. Indicators of the relative and absolute content of CD8+-lymphocytes at 36 weeks of pregnancy in women of the Group I were significantly lower than the corresponding indicators in the Group II and did not differ from similar indicators of the CG. After the first course of prophylactic interferon therapy in the Group I, the average level of IFN-α differed from the initial level and from the similar indicator of the CG. In the Group II, the indicators of IFN-α at 36 weeks of gestation remained at a low level and were significantly lower when compared with similar indicators the CG. The difference between the average indicators of IRI at 36 weeks of pregnancy in the Groups I and II was significant. Conclusions. Іmmune therapy to pregnant women with HCV infection contributed to a decrease in CD8+ lymphocytes and an increase in IRI, as well as an increase in the level of IFN-α. The research was carried out in accordance with the principles of the Helsinki Declaration. The study protocol was approved by the Local Ethics Committee of the institution mentioned in the paper. The informed consent of the patient was obtained for conducting the studies. No conflict of interests was declared by the authors.