NK Cells

Answered on 1st November 2013 in Treatments

Hi, I'm 40 yrs of age and my husband and i have been trying for 5 years to get pregnant. We're both healthy and have had several bloods tests, including AMH, and FSH which came back good. We had our first IVF cycle last year which wasn't successful. We've been to another clinic recently and they've tested my NK cells CD69 which came back 1.01, Cytotoxicity raised at 34%. I have been advised to consider Prednisolone 25mg daily. This whole IVF experience has been overwhelming for my husband and I and we are left confused and not sure if we should go through IVF with steroids. We've read that there is no proven advantage in using steroids in the first three months of pregnancy and there is a small risk of poor fetal growth, though there is little other risk to the fetus, and other side effects may occur. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

Our Expert's Answer

This information was published 10 years, 5 months ago and was correct at the time of publication. It may not reflect our current practices or regulations.

Please note that all the answers we give are on a generic basis only, as we cannot provide more in-depth answers without access to your medical history. If you need a more detailed response, tailored to you, we would recommend a consultation with one of our Fertility Specialists for more comprehensive medical advice.

NK cell testing is usually performed after recurrent miscarriage or repeated IVF failure.  If you are unsure of the advice you have been given by your doctor then I would suggest that you to seek a second opinion.  At the age of 40 your chance of success with IVF is low as the quality of your eggs decreases as you get older. Before we could offer any advice about further treatment we would need to see all the details of your recent cycle