Unexplained Infertility?

Your immune system might hold the answers.

Infertility can be a challenging journey, often with hidden factors contributing to the difficulty of conceiving. One such factor is an imbalance in the immune system, which plays a critical role in implantation, pregnancy, and overall reproductive health. Our comprehensive Fertility Health Package offers targeted testing to help identify potential immune-related barriers to conception and pregnancy, guiding treatment plans for better outcomes.

The Next Step Toward a Healthy Pregnancy

Our Fertility Health Package

Uncovers Immune Related Fertility Issues

Guides Personalized Fertility Treatments

Promotes Reproductive Wellness

Explore Fertility Health Package

  • Reports on both percentages and absolute counts of lymphocytes (type of white blood cell).

    Total T cells (CD3), Helper T cells (CD3+CD4+), Cytotoxic T cells (CD3+CD8+), Double negative T cells(CD3+CD4-CD8-), ratio of CD4

  • Quantitative degranulation of NK Cells by measuring CD107a expression on the surface, following simulation with K-562 cell lines.

    NK cell function by resulting percentage (Stimulated CD107a% - unstimulated CD107a%) of CD107a+ NK cells.

  • Quantitative assessment of Th1 cytokines (TNFa &IFNy) over Th2 cytokine (IL-10).

    Ratio of Th1 (TNFa and IFNy): Th2 (IL10) by T helper Cells.

  • Quantitative assessment of 34 cytokines/chemokines analytes in serum.

    Analytes (pg/mL and reference ranges):

    Eotaxin/CCL11, GM-CSF, GRO alpha/CXCL1, IFN alpha, IFN gamma, IL-1 beta, IL-1 alpha, IL-1RA, IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-7, IL-8/CXCL8, IL-9, IL-10, IL-12 p70, IL-13, IL-15, IL-17A, IL-18, IL-21, IL-22, IL-23, IL-27, IL-31, IP-10/CXCL10, MCP-1/CCL2, MIP-1 alpha/CCL3, MIP-1 beta/CCL4, RANTES/CCL5, SDF1 alpha/CXCL12, TNF alpha, TNF beta/LTA.)

Who Should Consider Testing?

01

Women planning to conceive who want to assess their immune health.

Women experiencing recurrent miscarriages.

02

Women with implantation failures with assisted reproductive techniques.

03

Understanding the Tests

Each test in our Fertility Health Package looks at a different aspect of immune function that could be affecting your fertility:

  • Immune Subset Panel

    The immune system is made up of different types of cells, including T cells, B cells, and Natural Killer (NK) cells. An immune system imbalance - having too many or too few of these cells - can impact implantation and pregnancy. This test helps identify the counts of different immune cells and highlights any irregularities.

  • NK Cell Function Panel

    NK cells play a crucial role in maintaining a healthy uterine environment for pregnancy. However, too many or overly active NK Cells can negatively affect the embryo.* If the Immune Subset Panel suggests an abnormal number of NK cells is present, this test checks NK Cell activity to see if they could be interfering with pregnancy.

  • Th1:Th2 Cytokine Ratio Panel

    Th1:Th2 ratio is the balance between two types of immune cells: Th1 (T-helper 1) and Th2 (T-helper 2). Imbalance in this ratio affects egg quality and may cause implantation failure/miscarriage.** This test compares your Th1:Th2 ratio with a normal healthy population and identifies whether there is a tilt in the balance towards Th1 or Th2.

  • 34-Plex Cytokine Panel

    Cytokines are chemical messengers that help regulate the immune response. Th1 and Th2 cells produce different sets of cytokines. This test provides a detailed breakdown of cytokine levels and their receptors, helping pinpoint which specific immune signals might be creating an imbalance.***

Immune Signals in Pregnancy Health

The immune system has two main responses. 
  • Th1 is pro-inflammatory and drives inflammation. 
  • Th2 is anti-inflammatory and maintains balance.
A healthy pregnancy leans toward a Th2-dominant state. If the immune system is producing too many Th1 signals, it can create an inflammatory environment that makes implantation difficult and increases the risk of miscarriage.
An elevated Th1:Th2 ratio means the presence of higher numbers of pro-inflammatory CD4+ T cells in peripheral blood. This is associated with recurrent spontaneous abortion in women.**** A bias towards Th2 is important to maintain normal pregnancy.
Th1 and Th2 cells produce different sets of cytokines. For example, Th1 cytokines (such as IFN-y and TNF-α) increase inflammation. The 34-plex Cytokine Panel provides a detailed breakdown of these cytokine levels and their receptors, helping pinpoint which specific immune signals might be creating an imbalance.                                                                                                      
With this information, physicians can recommend targeted immunotherapies to restore immune balance and improve pregnancy outcomes.

Ordering a Test

Step 1 Physician To Complete the OncoHelix Fertility Health Requisition.

  • Patient details are filled out at the top of the requisition under “Patient Information.”
  • Physician details are completed under “Order Information.”
  • Physician specifies the patient’s condition under “Indication.”
  • Physician selects the type of panel test required under “Test Request”.

Step 2 Send the completed requisition to the OncoHelix lab by Fax to 403 210 8176.

Note: OncoHelix Fertility Health testing is available at all locations across Canada, the US, and worldwide. Samples can be shipped to the OncoHelix lab for testing from anywhere, there is no geographic limitation to conduct a blood or serum-based test.

Step 3 OncoHelix will contact you in 3 business days.

An OncoHelix customer navigator will contact you within 3 business days to arrange for the test to be completed. For your safety, our OncoHelix customer navigator will be able to identify themselves to you by providing your doctor's information and details written on the OncoHelix form that you sent.

Please have your credit card information ready when our OncoHelix customer navigator contacts you, as we only accept credit card payments. A secure payment link will be provided for your convenience.

Step 4 Test Report will be sent to both your physician and you.

Please see below the Turnaround Time for your test: starting from the arrival time of the prepared specimen to the OncoHelix Lab in Calgary, Alberta to the final result reviewed by our team of pathologists. Your ordering physician will receive an electronic report once your test has been completed and your profile has been analyzed. The patient will also receive a copy of the report.

  • *

    Ntrivalas EI. et al. Status of peripheral blood natural killer cells in women with recurrent spontaneous abortions and infertility of unknown aetiology. Hum Reprod. 2001;16(5):855–61.

    Ho YK, Chen HH, Huang CC, et al. Peripheral CD56+CD16+ NK cell populations in the early follicular phase are associated with successful clinical outcomes of intravenous immunoglobulin treatment in women with repeated implantation failure. Front Endocrinol. 2020;10:937

    **Lin H. et al. Synthesis of T helper 2-type cytokines at the maternal-fetal interface. J Immunol. 1993;151(9):4562–73. 

    ***

    Kalu E, Bhaskaran S, Thum MY, et al. Serial estimation of Th1:th2 cytokines profile in women undergoing in-vitro fertilization-embryo transfer. Am J Reprod Immunol. 2008;59(3):206-211.

    Laird SM, Tuckerman EM, Li TC. Cytokine expression in the endometrium of women with implantation failure and recurrent miscarriage. Reproductive BioMedicine Online. Reproductive Healthcare Ltd; 2006:13-23.

    ****

    Moffett A, Loke YW. The immunological paradox of pregnancy: a reappraisal. Placenta. 2004;25(1):1-8. 53. Challis JR, Lockwood CJ, Myatt L, Norman JE, Strauss JF, Petraglia F. Inflammation and Pregnancy. Reproductive Sciences; 2009:206-215.

    Hill JA. T helper 1 immunity to trophoblast: evidence for a new immunological mechanism for recurrent abortion in women. Hum Reprod 1995;10(suppl 2):114 –20.

    Lim KJH, Odukoya OA, Ajjan RA, Li T, Weetman AP, Cooke ID. The role of T-helper cytokines in human reproduction. Fertil Steril 2000;73:136–42.

Requisition Form