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Lentz LS, Stutz AJ, Meyer N, Schubert K, Karkossa I, von Bergen M, Zenclussen AC, Schumacher A. Human chorionic gonadotropin promotes murine Treg cells and restricts pregnancy-harmful proinflammatory Th17 responses. Front Immunol 2022; 13:989247. [PMID: 36203576 PMCID: PMC9531259 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.989247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2022] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
An equilibrium between proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory immune responses is essential for maternal tolerance of the fetus throughout gestation. To study the participation of fetal tissue-derived factors in this delicate immune balance, we analyzed the effects of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) on murine Treg cells and Th17 cells in vitro, and on pregnancy outcomes, fetal and placental growth, blood flow velocities and remodeling of the uterine vascular bed in vivo. Compared with untreated CD4+CD25+ T cells, hCG increased the frequency of Treg cells upon activation of the LH/CG receptor. hCG, with the involvement of IL-2, also interfered with induced differentiation of CD4+ T cells into proinflammatory Th17 cells. In already differentiated Th17 cells, hCG induced an anti-inflammatory profile. Transfer of proinflammatory Th17 cells into healthy pregnant mice promoted fetal rejection, impaired fetal growth and resulted in insufficient remodeling of uterine spiral arteries, and abnormal flow velocities. Our works show that proinflammatory Th17 cells have a negative influence on pregnancy that can be partly avoided by in vitro re-programming of proinflammatory Th17 cells with hCG.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lea S. Lentz
- Experimental Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical Faculty, Health Campus Immunology, Infectilogy and Inflammation (GC-I), Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Annika J. Stutz
- Experimental Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical Faculty, Health Campus Immunology, Infectilogy and Inflammation (GC-I), Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Nicole Meyer
- Experimental Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical Faculty, Health Campus Immunology, Infectilogy and Inflammation (GC-I), Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany
- Department of Environmental Immunology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Kristin Schubert
- Department of Molecular Systems Biology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Isabel Karkossa
- Department of Molecular Systems Biology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Martin von Bergen
- Department of Molecular Systems Biology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Leipzig, Germany
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Institute of Biochemistry, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Ana C. Zenclussen
- Experimental Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical Faculty, Health Campus Immunology, Infectilogy and Inflammation (GC-I), Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany
- Department of Environmental Immunology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Anne Schumacher
- Experimental Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical Faculty, Health Campus Immunology, Infectilogy and Inflammation (GC-I), Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany
- Department of Environmental Immunology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Leipzig, Germany
- *Correspondence: Anne Schumacher,
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