Immune system breakthrough gives hope to IVF

AUSSIE doctors believe women who suffer recurrent miscarriages or IVF failures could be too healthy.

IVF success

AUSTRALIAN doctors are prescribing blood-thinning medicines and steroids in a radical new treatment for repeated miscarriages and IVF failures.

Scientists from IVF Australia believe women who suffer recurrent miscarriages or IVF failures could have an immune system that is too healthy, consistently rejecting any invading cells, including the fathers' genes.

By weakening a woman's immune system at the time of conception, doctors say they can significantly improve the chances of pregnancy.

Sydney mother Ana Maria Escobar had almost given up all hope of having a child after six failed cycles of IVF.

Cuddling seven-week-old son Emilio, she said she could barely believe it when she finally conceived after trying the new technique.

"I was so happy," she said.

IVF Australia Professor Gavin Sacks said the immune system has "natural killer" cells (NK cells) that protect against invasion and infection.

"About 15-25 per cent of women who have repeated miscarriage or IVF failure have high levels of NK cells," he said.

"We decided to suppress the levels of NK cells leading to a better chance of conception."

Prof Sacks said he detects the levels of NK cells through a blood test.

If high, he will prescribe a low dose of steroid prednisolone and blood-thinning medicine clexane.

"We know these medications are safe and that they work. They are also cheap and available," he said.

Women take the medication from the beginning of their cycle, until the third month of their pregnancy, Pros Sacks said.

At the Fertility Society of Australia conference in New Zealand last week, Prof Sacks presented his latest research on the approach dubbed the "Bondi Protocol".

In the study of 87 women (average age 38), 58 had at least six failed IVF cycles and 29 had six repeated miscarriages.

After the Bondi Protocol, 53 per cent had a successful pregnancy and birth.

"Most patients succeeded in their first three cycles of IVF with the Bondi protocol, or within the first year of trying naturally in the miscarriage group," Prof Sacks said.

"This study therefore represents a pretty good outcome in a group of patients who previously would have had little hope."

Live birth rates were highest in women under the age of 38 who had a high count of NK cells (86 per cent).

Ms Escobar, who is the creative director of Oroton, said she tried for five years to become pregnant.

"I really wanted to be a mum and I had lost my hope and faith by the end. I was getting to the point where I would cry when I saw pregnant women. I thought maybe I would never be a mum," she said.

"The idea of playing with the immune system was a bit scary. But this was the seventh time I was doing IVF, I knew it was the last time I was going to do it, I was already looking at adoption."

She gave birth to Emilio in September this year.

Prof Sacks said he hopes to launch a controlled randomised trial of the technique within months.

THE BONDI PROTOCOL

- A blood test shows the level of natural killer cells (NK cells) in a woman's immune system.

- If high, the patient is prescribed oral steroid prednisolone and blood thinning medication clexane to suppress the NK cells.

- The NK cells are weakened and less able to fight any invading cells, resulting in a higher chance of conception.

- Of the 87 patients who had experienced repeated miscarriage or IVF failure, 53 per cent conceived after the Bondi Protocol.

- Livebirths rates were highest in women under 38 with high levels of NK cells (85 per cent).