comparing the frequency of cd4+t cells in recurrent spontaneous abortion women with and without antithyroid peroxidase (tpo)

Thyroid autoimmunity, being recognized by the presence of auto-antibodies against thyroid peroxidase (tpo) and thyroglobulin, has known to be associated with increased risk of recurrent spontaneous abortion (rsa), even in euthyroid subjects. there was no robust evidence regarding t cell deviations in anti-tpo positive rsa patients. the aim of this study was to investigate if the numbers of different cd4+t subsets were different in women who experienced rsa and have an anti-tpo antibody from those without autoantibody and normal fertile women or not. in this study, peripheral blood samples were obtained from three groups of women (age: 20-35 years) including rsa anti-tpo positive (n=17), rsa anti-tpo negative (n=27), and fertile (n=29) groups. the frequency of t helper (th) 1, th2, th17, and regulatory t cells (tregs) and also, the proportions of th1/th2 and th17/treg were measured by flow cytometry and compared between groups in different menstrual phases. the findings indicated elevated levels of th1 in anti-tpo+ rsa in comparison with those without anti-tpo (p-value: 0.004), exclusively in the luteal phase. other t cell subsets were different only between rsa and control groups. also, the th1/th2 and th17/treg ratios were increased in both rsa groups compared to fertile women. the only subset of cd4+ t cell different between rsa groups (i.e. with and without anti-tpo) was th1 cells. other cd4+ t cells’ deviations including th2, th17, and treg cells could be related to the presence of abortion, regardless of the underlying thyroid autoimmunity state.