 Treatment of
Auto-Immune Factors
Some women are infertile due to auto-immune or alloimmune
factors which inhibit conception and/or implantation of a fertilized
egg (embryo). We have been successfully treating women at risk with
a regimen of low dose Heparin and baby aspirin. Because Heparin is
positively charged and has a high molecular weight, it does not cross
the placental barrier.
Instead, it acts actively by interceding between the harmful
antibodies and the root system of the placenta thereby preventing
placental cell injury and providing adequate blood supply, nutrient
and oxygen supply to the developing fetus. This new treatment appears
to inhibit or prevent the potential damage or rejection of an
implanting embryo.
Women with significantly high auto-immune factors can also be
treated with Intravenous Immunoglobulin (IVIG) plus baby aspirin and
low dose Heparin. IVIG is a protein that is extracted from a washed
blood product after undergoing several processes of neutralization to
absorb any possible infective particle in the the human blood. It
contains antibodies that act passively to suppress the natural killer
cell activity (NK cells), which are largely responsible for the
rejection of an embryo in the auto-immune process. Because IVIG is a
protein, there are some side effects associated with this treatment.
The minor side effects include flu-like symptoms such as increased in
body temperature, increases in pulse rate and heart rate, muscle
pains, joint pains and unexplained backaches for a few days.
The major side effects include allergic or anaphylactic reaction and
shock-like syndrome. This is why we check the patient's quantitative
IgA level before administering IVIG. If the patient has a low IgA
level, she is pre-medicated with Benadryl and/or Solu-Cortef prior
to receiving IVIG. If she has a normal IgA level, it is highly
unlikely for her to develop any allergic reaction. However, patients
are still monitored every 15 minutes while receiving IVIG to note
any possible early signs of allergic reactions that may develop. |
