Doctoral Dissertation at the College of Medicine, University of Babylon on Spontaneous Abortion
The Department of Microbiology at the College of Medicine, University of Babylon, discussed the doctoral dissertation of the PhD candidate Nidal Mahmoud Khalifa, titled:
“Immunological and Molecular Study of TLRs Gene Polymorphisms and Levels of HLA and CD34+ in Women with Spontaneous Abortion Infected with Human Cytomegalovirus (HCMV)”
under the supervision of Professor Dr. Bushra Jabbar Hammoud and Professor Dr. Asmaa Kazem Kadhim.
The discussion was attended by the Associate Dean for Scientific Affairs, Assistant Professor Dr. Ashraf Mohammed Ali Hussein, along with several faculty members, academics, and postgraduate students.
During her defense, the researcher explained that spontaneous abortion is a global health problem, affecting 10-20% of clinically recognized pregnancies, due to genetic, immunological, and environmental factors. The study aimed to assess the possibility of using CD34+ and HLA-F levels as predictive markers for spontaneous abortion by investigating the relationship between these markers in women with spontaneous miscarriage (SM).
The research also explored the role of polymorphisms in Toll-like receptor (TLR) genes (TLR2, TLR4, and TLR7), comparing the results with a healthy control group of pregnant women, and analyzing related demographic factors and the presence of cytomegalovirus (CMV).
Chi-square and logistic regression analyses revealed that women infected with cytomegalovirus (HCMV IgG positive) were four times more likely to have HCMV infection, and eight times more likely when both HCMV IgG and IgM were positive, compared to healthy pregnant women. The study indicated that women aged 31-40 years and those married to relatives had a higher risk of SM—about double compared to healthy pregnant women. Blood group O was associated with an increased risk of SM and a higher likelihood of HCMV IgG infection.
The findings showed that women in the first trimester were 14 times more likely to experience SM compared to the control group and to other pregnancy stages. Additionally, recurrent miscarriage posed a higher risk, with greater prevalence of HCMV IgM and IgG positivity among women who had recurrent miscarriages during the first trimester.
In conclusion, the study highlighted the high prevalence of CMV antibodies among women in Babil and Diyala provinces, identifying a unique moderate direct association between CD34+ and HLA-F levels in the study groups. A unique link was also found between TLR4 gene polymorphisms and HLA-F concentration in the abortion group. A significant reduction in both markers was observed among women positive for CMV IgG/IgM. Furthermore, polymorphisms in TLR4 and TLR7 were significantly associated with SM, suggesting a potential genetic immune mechanism underlying miscarriage risk.