What are alloimmune and autoimmune issues?
Immune doctors classify immune problems into alloimmune and autoimmune categories (although of course some ladies will have both). Alloimmune problems occur where the implanting embryo is genetically very similar to the host mother (usually because the genetic father is very similar to the host mother and the embryo inherits half of its genetic material from him). The immune system is always on the look out for altered self cells because these are usually your own body cells (self) but are either showing signs of cancer, damage or harbouring a virus. It is the job of some immune cells to find altered self cells and destroy them. Having very similar genetic markers (e.g., DQalpha markers) between prospective parents is associated with higher rates of pregnancy failure and this is thought to be because the host mothers immune system may fail to recognise the embryonic tissue and misinterpret it as altered self. Autoimmune issues generally arise when parts of the bodys immune system are o
