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Hopes of Cure for Miscarriage; Scientist Uncovers Positive Side-Effect of Asthma Drug

Posted on: Wednesday, 22 June 2005, 09:00 CDT

A LIVERPOOL scientist has spoken of her hopes that a standard asthma drug could provide hope for hundreds of women who suffer repeated miscarriages.

Dr Siobhan Quenby led a team that discovered the possible treatment, which could cost as little as pounds 1 a month, at the University of Liverpool.

Researchers found a steroid drug prednisolone, commonly used to treat eczema and asthma, can tone down the immune system in the womb.

Experts believe unexplained miscarriages may be linked to a natural reaction that prevents an invasion of foetal cells which might trigger cancer in the mother. If the protection goes too far it can end up terminating the pregnancy. The condition affects one in 50 women of reproductive age.

Dr Quenby, who is based at the Department of Developmental and Reproductive Medicine, found prednisolone can dramatically cut the numbers of uterine natural killer (uNK) cells in women with a history of miscarriages.

She said: 'A randomised controlled trial of prednisolone for the prevention of miscarriage is urgently needed.

'This is very exciting data, but the research is at a preliminary stage, so I cannot recommend it to patients without a proper trial.' Dr Quenby presented her findings to scientists in Copenhagen.

The drug was given to a woman who had suffered 19 miscarriages. Despite the fact that she was 42, she gave birth to a baby which is now doing well.

Dr Quenby recruited 110 women with severe recurrent miscarriage with no known cause, but who were still having regular 28-day menstrual cycles.

The women had each experienced an average of six miscarriages. The smallest number was three, and the highest 22.

Tests were carried out to determine the quantity of uNK cells in the women's womb lining Before treatment, 14% of the women's womb linings consisted of natural killer cells, with the highest proportion being 72%. After treatment, the average dropped to 9%.

Dr Quenby said: 'The reason I'm excited is that there was a dramatic reduction in natural killer cells in nearly everybody.'

'It doesn't mean these women are going to go on and have babies, but that is the next question I'm going to ask.'

Two of the women in the study gave birth to healthy babies.

Another three were currently pregnant and making good progress, and two more miscarried. Further research is needed to determine what impact treatment with prednisolone actually has on miscarriage risk. But the early results are promising Dr Quenby said the advantage of the drug was that its effects were so well known.

'Although there are side effects, it's been given to millions of people and we know exactly what it does.'

She added that it was 'very, very cheap".

Peter Wright, chairman of the Miscarriage Association, said: 'Anything which reduces the distress caused by pregnancy loss is welcome.

'This is only a small sample, but these are interesting results worthy of more research

Source: Daily Post; Liverpool

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