FOETOMATERNAL HISTOINCOMPATIBILITY IN TOXAEMIA OF PREGNANCY

SUMMARY Lymphocytotoxic antibodies were more frequent (by micro cytotoxicity assay) in the Primigravidae suffering from toxaemia in pregnancy than in normal Primigravidae, but in multigravidae the respective antibody frequencies were of the same magnitude. In mixed leukocyte cultures, maternal lymphocytes developed a faster or stronger response to stimulating cells from the children born after a toxaemic pregnancy, than to cells from other siblings who had inherited the same paternal HL-A haplotype. Foetomaternal incompatibilities in non HL-A leukocyte antigens, ABO antigens or Gm and Inv factors did not satisfactorily explain the difference. Immunofluorescence staining of toxaemic kidney biopsies revealed glomerular aggregates specifically binding fluorescein-conjugated rabbit anti-human IgG + IgM antibody.