Natural Killer Cells (NK Cells) and recurrent miscarriage

[BryanBeattie]

There is a lot of misinformation about the link between NK Celks and recurrent miscarriage. In a nutshell:
1-High levels of endometrial NK cells on a late secretory phase endometrial bopsy have been found in women with recurrent miscarriage.
2-There is good evidence that the correlation between blood NK levels and endometrial NK levels is poor
3-There is poor evidence of a link between BLOOD NK levels and recurrent miscarriage
4-There is good evidence that steroids such as Prednisolone reduce endometrial NK levels
5-Siobhan Quenby is heading a randomised controlled trial to explore the likelihoid that steroid treatment in women with high levels of NK cells will reduce the risk of miscarriage
6-Innermost Secrets in Cardiff are one of the few centres in the UK that offer endometrial biopsy to measure endometrial NK cells and follow on treatment and support. The test is not usually available on the NHS.
Bryan Beattie
Consultant in Fetal Medicine

So, as a woman who has suffered re occuring miscarriage, how do i go about getting one of these biopsies?

Given that all other tests have proven to be within normal limits, would it be fair to say that it would be useful for women like me to be px steriod therapy any way.

If steroid therapy has supportive evidence that it reduces re occuring miscarriage, why is it not then known about and utilised, given that "specialist" centres px and administer expensive HCG treatments with little or NO supporting evidence of their worth?

What is the cost comparrison of the two?

Sorry if i sound agressive, dont mean to, BUT i am so frustrated with the hopelssness of re occuring miscarriage becuase i percieve it to be neglected, and hit and miss and "not important" to any one.
Also i am veyr curious.
Many thanks for this info, its very interesting.

Hello Bryan
Thanks for the info, it is very interesting. Can I ask, are there any journals or papers or anything regarding that the link between the blood NK levels and endometrial NK levels is poor? Or that the blood NK levels and link to recurrent miscarriage is poor?

I am particularly interested as I am pursuing treatment based on blood NK cells. I've not had the endometrial testing.

Thanks for posting this, I totally agree that there is a lot of misinformation on this topic. Thanks for clearing things up. It seems to me that everyone that gets tested for blood Nk cells has high levels. Does anyone ever get normal levels? Just curious, haven't been tested myself but am considering it in the future if I continue to have problems

All In know is that after 4 mc's, countless tests on the NHS, and then a visit to Dr.Shehata, I am now 28 weeks pregnant with a child I never thought I would have....He only uses blood tests to diagnose high NK cells.
Also, Dr.Beer, who pioneered this approach, has a 75% success rate with around 7000 couples. I'd say that this was pretty conclusive evidence that the diagnosis and treatment work.
It would be fantastic if the NHS would adopt this (cheap) treatment for those recurrent miscarriers where they can't find any other cause for mc's. All of my treatment, including steroids, intralipid infusions, progesterone and aspirin must have worked out more affordable that the 3 ERPC's I had, alongside a stint on antidepressants and the counselling I had to go through after unexplained mc's.

Hi Bryan, Thanks for giving us your opinion as director of Innermost Secrets in Cardiff. What inspired you to come on here and give us your view? Whatever the inspiration, it would be great if you come back to answer some of our questions.

It seems there is indeed a lot of contrasting research on the subject from all parties concerned, how is Professor Quenby's research going so far? Is her research taking into account both blood levels and endometrial levels?

I was wondering whether if as you say there is poor evidence of a link between BLOOD NK levels and recurrent miscarriage but there is good evidence that steroids such as Prednisolone reduce endometrial NK levels, do you think Prednisolone treatment is advisable anyway in women who have suffered from recurrent miscarriage and found to have no other issues apart from high NK cells in the blood albeit not yet tested for endometrial cells?