Yes it is not a common situation, unfortunately even relatives manage to conceive with each other, yet here we are definitely not related yet possibly sharing dna. That really is darned bad luck. This is what the immunologists refer to as alloimmune dysfunction.
I have seen both Dr Sacks and Dr Matthias, Dr Sacks (SYdney)at the time spoke to me about high nk levels and treating them with steroids. Mosty treating autoimmune dysfunction, Dr Matthias(Sydney) wanted to send my blood to the us as only 3-4 US labs have these particular tests. He also wanted me to do the DQ Alpha test. There are also a number of other tests related to immune issues they will test.
The DQ alpha test give you back two numbers each. In a normal pregnancy the father's DNA in the baby tells the mother's body to set up a protective reaction around the developing embryo. If the father's DNA is too closely matched to the mother's, there is a good chance that the embryo created by them is unable to differentiate itself from the mother's body. The mother's body then rejects the embryo because it cannot identify the embryo as a baby.
According to Dr Beers web site
"Each person gets two DQ numbers from their respective parents. Similarly, when couples try to have a baby, they also give DQ numbers to their fetus. These numbers are, for example, 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 2, 3 or 4".
I know that having this condition is quite difficult to treat so I wondered if anybody had any experiences with it. Currently trying to organise the logistics in flying my bloodwork to the US (Very costly exercise). But if I get an answer I can move forward knowing what the problem has been. There is nothing more frustrating as you all know than having perfect cycle after perfect cycle and getting great looking embryos with no explaination other than it must be your eggs.
Immune issues only make up such a small amount of the infertility world and nobody here is prepared to consider this. My FS kept telling me to keep trying and never suggested that there could be other tests or options to consider.
Although I have spoken to scientists at both MIVF and monash Ivf and both are working on studies looking at implantation failure they are now suggesting that imbalances of proteins /cytokines in the uterus can lead to implantation failure. Although a long way off from finding treatments.
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