The relevance of problems such as miscarriage and infertility is currently increasing. Impaired functioning of the reproductive organs of the male and female reproductive systems lead to similar conditions.
Among the reasons, it is worth highlighting both congenital pathologies and acquired ones (infections, endocrine dysfunctions, immunological problems). Acquired pathological conditions are most often treatable, which cannot be said about congenital (at the gene level) changes.
Currently, the technique of in vitro fertilization is developing rapidly, but this method is not always effective and rarely gives the desired result.
Today, scientists have come to the conclusion that most failures in in vitro fertilization cause HLA compatibility. Incompatibility of HLA systems of spouses leads to gestosis during pregnancy, congenital malformations, spontaneous miscarriages and actual infertility of a woman.
The HLA system is nothing but histocompatibility antigens, which are responsible for the recognition by the human body and its tissues of cells of its own and foreign.
In the event that a violation of the antigenic composition of human cells is detected, the mechanism of their immune destruction (immune response) is triggered. Corresponding antibodies are produced on foreign antigens that remove the “conflict” cells.
Certain HLA Encoding of the Sixth Chromosome Gene
Each of the genes has many diverse combinations (alleles).
HLA typing is performed to determine the histocompatibility of systems. The identification of alleles (variants) is the result of typing.
All antigens can be divided into two main classes. The first is represented by surface antigens of all cells, the second by antigens present on the surface of cells that participate in immunological reactions (this includes: B- and T-lymphocytes, macrophages, monocytes, dendritic cells).
HLA typing is performed for women according to indications. Among those are:
- miscarriage,
- infertility and other pathological conditions associated with impaired reproduction.
Normally, a child receives both maternal and paternal genes to determine its own composition of antibodies.
Pathological is a sharp mismatch (difference) of antibodies, and their pronounced similarity. In the first case, the mother’s body begins to struggle with foreign fetal cells, and in the second, the woman’s body does not perceive pregnancy as such.
HLA typing of parents is carried out according to the second class of antigens (responsible for the immune activity of the body). To perform this diagnostic manipulation, it is necessary to draw blood from the patient's vein . Subsequently, leukocytes are isolated from serum. HLA typing uses white blood cells to form the polymerase chain reaction.
In the case when there is a similarity of phenotypes (according to HLA), the mother is immunized with a white blood cell concentrate of her husband (the future father of the child). In addition, immunotherapy is carried out using immunoglobulins. All these techniques allow you to activate the mother’s immune system and stimulate its proper functioning.
Thus, HLA typing is carried out today if there are signs indicating a violation in the histocompatibility of mother and child tissues. The use of this diagnostic method allowed not only to determine the cause of miscarriage and infertility, but also to develop and implement a whole range of therapeutic methods and techniques for the successful treatment of such pathological conditions.