Autoantibodies against Folate Receptors in Women with a Pregnancy Complicated by a Neural-Tube Defect

TLDR: It is hypothesized that autoantibodies against folate receptors in women may be associated with pregnancy complicated by a neural-tube defect, and serum from 12 women who were or had been pregnant with a fetus with a Neural-Tube defect was analyzed.

Abstract: Background In the absence of clinical folate deficiency, periconceptional supplementation with folic acid reduces a woman's risk of having an infant with a neural-tube defect. Since antiserum to folate receptors induces embryo resorption and malformations in rats, we hypothesized that autoantibodies against folate receptors in women may be associated with pregnancy complicated by a neural-tube defect. Methods Serum from 12 women who were or had been pregnant with a fetus with a neural-tube defect and from 24 control women (20 with current or prior normal pregnancies and 4 who were nulligravid) was analyzed for autoantibodies by incubation with human placental folate receptors radiolabeled with [3H]folic acid. The properties of these autoantibodies were characterized by incubating serum and the autoantibodies isolated from serum with placental membranes, ED27 cells, and KB cells, which express the folate receptors. Results Serum from 9 of 12 women with a current or previous affected pregnancy (index subjec...