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Review
. 2020 Nov:142:103207.
doi: 10.1016/j.jri.2020.103207. Epub 2020 Sep 14.

The uterine immune profile: A method for individualizing the management of women who have failed to implant an embryo after IVF/ICSI

N Lédée  1 , M Petitbarat  2 , L Prat-Ellenberg  3 , G Dray  3 , G-N Cassuto  4 , L Chevrier  2 , A Kazhalawi  2 , K Vezmar  2 , G Chaouat  5
Affiliations
Review

The uterine immune profile: A method for individualizing the management of women who have failed to implant an embryo after IVF/ICSI

N Lédée et al. J Reprod Immunol. 2020 Nov.

Abstract

A unique endometrial immune reaction should occur to promote the human embryo implantation. We postulated that an immune disequilibrium may impact the initial dialogue between the mother and her embryo. In 2012, we set a method of uterine immune profiling for patients with unexplained repeated implantation failures (RIF). The method documents the local Th-1/ Th-2 equilibrium and the recruitment and state of maturation/activation of uNK cells. In function of the disequilibrium observed, personalization of assisted reproductive treatments was suggested. As the concept of personalization in function of the uterine immune profile had never been proposed, a large cohort study and a controlled cohort study were first conducted in RIF patients. 80 % of the RIF patients showed a local disequilibrium if compared to fertile controls. The local disequilibrium was identified in 3 categories: over-immune activation in 45 %, low- local immune activation in 25 % and mixed profile in 10 %. Personalization of treatments in function of the immune profile allowed to restore a live birth rate by 40 % at the following embryo transfer. RIF patients with endometriosis show some particularities regarding their immune profiles. We also suggested that immunotherapy (corticoids, intralipids) may have targeted indications based on a better understanding of the immune type of disequilibrium documented. Personalization of treatments for RIF patients seems to be essential to promote the subsequent live birth rate. The endometrial immune profiling is an innovative method aiming to detect a local immune disequilibrium and, if present, to test preventively its correction under treatment.

Keywords: Cytokines, pregnancy; IVF; Immunology, endometrium; Implantation failures.

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