Peripheral blood T- and B-cell immunophenotypic abnormalities in selected women with unexplained recurrent miscarriage

•Immunophenotypic abnormalities of T- and B-cells are present in recurrent miscarriage.•Women with recurrent miscarriage were found to have higher central memory CD4+ cells.•Activated CD4 + DR+ cells, CD4 + CD25 + DR+ cells and CD8 + DR+ cells were also observed.•Increased non-switched memory B-cells were reported.

We aimed to investigate if women with recurrent miscarriage disclosed abnormalities in the maturation and activation status of peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets. In a case control study, 24 women with recurrent miscarriage, 37 women with children but no history of miscarriage and 39 women without previous pregnancies were evaluated. Lymphocyte subsets were evaluated using three-colour flow-cytometry. Selected women with recurrent miscarriage had significantly higher absolute counts of central memory CD4+ T-cells, CD8 + DR+ T-cells and memory non-switched B-cells than the control groups. Recurrent miscarriage may be associated with abnormalities of the maturation and activation status of peripheral blood T and B lymphocytes.