Reproductive Immunology

Reproductive Immunology is a field of medicine that studies the interactions between the immune system and the reproductive system.

For a successful implantation of an embryo, and a subsequent normal pregnancy, the immune system must be in optimal condition, so it will react in a “special” way towards the “new invader”. This reaction is observed in every pregnancy, and we believe that is a vital part of normal embryo implantation. The characteristic of this immunological reaction is that, a few hours after the implantation, the immune system will ease off, it will become underactive, thus optimizing embryo development.

It is currently widely accepted that some women may overreact towards the embryos and this may result in unsuccessful implantation or early miscarriage or, more rarely, in developmental problems during pregnancy.

After years of failed attempts to get pregnant and to keep a pregnancy we decided to get help from Life Clinic and Dr Dimitri Papanikolaou. We can truly recommend his expertise on immunological problems and fertility. They made us feel well taken care of and have provided professional support through out the whole process.

We are convinced that without Dr Dimitri Papanikolaou’s help we wouldn’t have our wonderful little baby girl. We are forever thankful for the help we got from Life Clinic!

Jenny Mentzer (Sweden)

The blood tests required for the investigation are a combination of simple and more specific tests, aiming at understanding particular immune system tendencies and its current overall condition.

Blood samples are sent by courier and on the same day, to the USA (Chicago University), for specialised testing. The results take approximately 2 weeks, at which point a follow up consultation is scheduled, the findings will be explained, and a plan for the immunological support required will be made, specifically in line with these results, so as to maximise the chances of a successful pregnancy.

The link between Immunological imbalances and infertility, pregnancy and miscarriage, is a relatively new field of research and clinical investigations are still on-going. As a result, for a lot of doctors this treatment is controversial and schools of thought between assisted conception specialists differ. Over time, more and more doctors and clinics have started looking seriously into this field. Nowadays the immunological approach to fertility is becoming increasingly widespread and commonly accepted and pursued by most leading clinics in this area.

The investigation and treatment of immune-related infertility has resulted in successful pregnancy outcomes for many couples who would otherwise be considered as having ‘unexplained infertility‘ and be unable to parent their own children. In such cases, the reason behind their fertility issues or recurrent miscarriage was due to an imbalance of the maternal immune system and preventing a healthy natural pregnancy.

For a more in-depth review of immune screening and its implications in fertility medicine, please refer to the following journal articles and websites.

The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) 

Alan E. Beer Medical Center for Reproductive Immunology