E.M. MIKHEEVA, N.I. PENKINA

 Izhevsk State Medical Academy, Izhevsk

 Contact details:

Mikheeva E.M. — postgraduate student of the Department of Pediatrics and Neonatology, neonatologist

Address: 281 Kommunarov St., Izhevsk, Russian Federation, 426034, tel.: +7-906-819-92-56, e-mail: alena-sher@yandex.ru

Studying the potential health risks for babies born using assisted reproductive technologies (ART) is important for public health.

The purpose — to study the immunological status of children born using ART.

Material and methods. A clinical and immunological examination of 82 children of the first year of life born with the use of ART was carried out, including 35 full-term and 47 premature babies. The comparison group consisted of children of the first year of life from spontaneous pregnancy, including 45 full-term and 46 premature babies.

Results. Children of the first year of life born with the use of ART are characterized by a reduced resistance of the organism (p < 0.001). In most full-term infants conceived using ART, laboratory signs of secondary immunodeficiencies were established in the first year of life: pathology of the cellular immunity is represented by T- cell lymphopenia (p < 0.001), pathology of the humoral immunity — by dysimmunoglobulinemia (hypoimmunoglobulinemia A and G, hyperimmunoglobulinemia E), changes in the interferon status in the form of insufficient production of IFN-α (p = 0.023) and IFN-γ (p < 0.001). In premature infants conceived with ART, the characteristic immunological changes in the first year of life were: imbalance of the main populations of lymphocytes in the analysis of cellular immunity; the intensity of humoral immunity was expressed in a decrease in the concentration of IgA (p = 0.011) and IgG (p = 0.048), an increase in the content of IgM (p = 0.026); a reduced ability to produce immune IFN-α (p = 0.001) and IFN-γ (p = 0.021) was revealed.

Conclusion. The data obtained indicate a high incidence of respiratory infections in the first year of life in children born with the use of ART, as well as violations of the cellular and humoral links of immunity, insufficiency of the interferon system.

Key words: assisted reproductive technologies, frequently ill children, immunity.

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