Abstract

Objective: Recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA), the repetition of three or more consecutive abortions, occurs in approximately 1-2 of reproductive-aged women. It has been postulated that a number of repeated pregnancy losses may be related to immune causes. The purpose of this study was to determine the role of Interleukin (IL)-2 and Rheumatoid Factor (RF) in RSA. Materials and methods: This case control study was carried out on two different groups. Groups I consisted of fifty-six women with a history of three or more RSA and group II consisted of sixty-three healthy women woho have had no abortion history, with at leaset one successful pregnancy. The sera were examined for the presence of IL-2 by ELISA method, and RF by latex agglutination test. Results: Two out of 56 women in group I had IL-2 in serum. None of the women in group II had IL-2 in serum. Also 53.5 of women in group I and 6 of women in group II were positive of RF in different titiers. There were significant differences between groups I and II for RF (P = 0.002). Conclusions: Serum IL-2 concentration does not affect pregnancy outcome, and the prevalence of RF in RSA women was higher than in normal controls. It is therefore recommended that the role of RF in pregnancy outcome should be investigated.