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Roy Farquharson

Publications and source records attributed to Roy Farquharson.

6 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Uterine natural killer cells, implantation failure and recurrent miscarriage.

Uterine natural killer (uNK) cells are the most abundant leukocytes in preimplantation endometrium and early pregnancy decidua. Maternal uNK cells are adjacent to, and have the ability to interact directly with, fetal trophoblasts. uNK cells can secrete an array of cytokines that are important in angiogenesis and thus placental development and the establishment of pregnancy. Increased numbers of uNK cells have been associated with reproductive failure. The number of preimplantation uNK cells has been reduced with prednisolone. However, despite these exciting advances in understanding of the uNK cells, considerably more work needs to be done to establish a specific role for uNK cells and to use uNK cells as a test of malfunctioning endometrium and the basis for future treatment for reproductive failure.

Abortion, Habitual↗
PubMed2005

Prednisolone reduces preconceptual endometrial natural killer cells in women with recurrent miscarriage.

OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that high numbers of uterine natural killer (uNK) cells in the endometrium of women with recurrent miscarriage (RM) could be reduced with prednisolone. DESIGN: A before and after study. SETTING: A tertiary referral teaching hospital. PATIENT(S): Eighty-five women with idiopathic RM recruited from all over the UK and 18 women attending for sterilization (controls). INTERVENTION(S): An endometrial sample was taken on day 21 +/- 2 of the menstrual cycle. Immunohistochemistry was used to identify uNK (CD56+, CD16-, CD3-). Twenty-nine women with RM and >5% uNK agreed to take 20 mg oral prednisolone daily from day 1 to 21 of their menstrual cycle, when a second biopsy was obtained and analyzed. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): The percentage of stromal cells that were uNK. The normal range was defined using control samples as <5%. RESULT(S): Women with RM had significantly more uNK than the controls (P=.008). Prednisolone treatment significantly reduced the number of CD56 cells in the endometrium, from a median of 14% (before) to 9% (after) (P=.0004). CONCLUSION(S): We have demonstrated that high numbers of uNK in preimplantation endometrium of women with recurrent miscarriage can be reduced with administration of prednisolone.

Abortion, Habitual↗
PubMed2003

Successful pregnancy outcome following 19 consecutive miscarriages: case report.

No cause can be found in 50% of patients with recurrent miscarriage. Recent research has shown that high levels of natural killer (NK) cells within the endometrium may be associated with idiopathic recurrent miscarriage. This case report describes a patient in whom an excessive number of uterine NK cells were found. She received preconceptual prednisolone and delivered a live baby. This is a novel observation of untested significance.

Abortion, Habitual↗
PubMed2003

Activated protein C resistance and pregnancy loss.

Activated protein C resistance is a thrombophilia with an established role in producing thrombosis which more recently has been implicated in the pathogenesis of pregnancy loss. This review will analyse recent literature to evaluate this association and address the gestation and type of pregnancy loss.

Abortion, Spontaneous↗
PubMed2002

Recurrent miscarriage: a defect in nature's quality control?

Recent data on recurrent miscarriage (RM) is discussed in the framework of the selection failure hypothesis which states, 'Recurrent miscarriage is the result of failure of the prevention of 'poor quality' embryos implanting, allowing embryos that are destined to fail to implant and present clinically as recurrent miscarriage. Thus, recurrent miscarriage is a failure of nature's quality control.' The assumption that RM results from the maternal rejection of normal fetuses is challenged and evidence reviewed regarding the contribution of abnormal embryos and endometrial receptivity. Further research is needed to understand the mechanisms of maternal tract-embryo interaction and move towards improved management of recurrent pregnancy loss.

Abortion, Habitual↗