Lymphocyte Immunisation Therapy (LIT) in IVF Treatment

Lymphocyte Immunization Therapy (LIT) is a treatment that involves injecting a patient's own lymphocytes, or white blood cells, into the mother's body to improve the chances of a successful pregnancy. LIT is often used in cases of recurrent miscarriages or infertility, especially when In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) has been unsuccessful. 

Here's how LIT works:

The goal of LIT is to train the mother's immune system to recognize the paternal cells as friendly, so that it's less likely to attack the embryo after IVF. 

LIT is generally considered safe, but there are some potential side effects, including:

• Pain, infection, or scarring at the injection site 

• Hypersensitivity or anaphylaxis, though these are rare 

• Blisters, malaise, temperature rise, skin rashes, burning feeling, swelling, irritation, or redness 

Lymphocyte immunotherapy (LIT) is an innovative treatment that offers hope to many women experiencing infertility. This approach focuses on harnessing the power of the immune system to support pregnancy. Lymphocyte immunotherapy (LIT) contains a lymphocyte concentrate for the treatment of infertility, in which the partner's or third party's white blood cells are isolated from the peripheral blood and injected into the pregnant mother. 

The Role of the Immune System in Pregnancy

The immune system is a complex network that protects the body from harmful invaders like germs and toxins. During pregnancy, the maternal immune system has a unique role—it needs to accept and support the growing baby, which contains genetic material from the father and is therefore "foreign" to the mother’s body.

In some cases, the immune system might not create the right environment for the baby to implant or develop, leading to challenges like implantation failure or pregnancy loss. This is where immunotherapy can help.

Lymphocyte immunotherapy is a special treatment that uses white blood cells (lymphocytes) from the father (or a donor) to prepare the mother’s immune system for pregnancy. By exposing the mother’s immune system to these cells, it becomes more tolerant of the baby’s genetic material, creating a supportive environment for the pregnancy.

LIT has shown promising results, improving pregnancy outcomes for women who have experienced repeated implantation failures or miscarriages.

Recurrent Miscarriages are seen in many women and 50% of these are labelled as unexplained as no underlying cause is found in them. Lymphocyte Immunization Therapy (LIT) was the earliest immunomodulatory method suggested in these cases. LIT is not only effective in the treatment of repeated miscarriages but it is also safe.  Modulation of the immune system by lymphocyte immunotherapy (LIT) is a reasonable way to prevent embryo rejection.

LIT aims to "train" the maternal immune system by:

1. Boosting Immune Tolerance: It helps the mother’s body accept the baby as part of her own.

2. Creating a Favourable Environment: It balances the immune response, ensuring the uterus is ready for implantation and growth.

3. Improving Pregnancy Success Rates: Studies suggest that LIT can increase implantation, gestation, and live birth rates.

The immune system works in layers to protect the body. It includes:

• Innate Immunity: The first line of defense, which responds quickly but non-specifically to threats.

• Adaptive Immunity: A more targeted response that remembers past invaders and protects against them in the future.

Sometimes, the immune system becomes overactive or imbalanced, mistakenly identifying the embryo as a threat. This can prevent implantation or cause pregnancy loss.