Age related cellular immune response against complete molar pregnancy.

OBJECTIVE: Advanced maternal age may result in a weaker immune response against complete molar pregnancy, therefore increasing the risk of gestational trophoblastic neoplasia due to ineffective elimination of the trophoblastic cells after evacuation. The present study was undertaken to investigate the cellular immune response against complete molar pregnancy at the implantation site in younger and older patients. STUDY DESIGN: Immunolocalization of CD8, granzyme B (GrB), FoxP3 and CD56 was performed on histologic tissue sections prepared from 18 patients aged < or = 40 years and 10 patients aged > 40 years to characterize effector (GrB+CD8+) cytotoxic T cells, GrB positive and negative natural killer cells (CD56) and regulatory T cells (FoxP3+) at the implantation site in complete molar pregnancies. RESULTS: The number of the different immune cell types did not show significant differences in the implantation sites of complete molar pregnancies between the 2 age groups or between persistent and nonpersistent cases. CONCLUSION: Immunosenescence of the natural killer and T cells most likely does not play a role in the increased incidence of gestational trophoblastic neoplasia in older patients with complete moles.