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Ahmadi H, Soltani-Zangbar MS, Yousefi M, Baradaran B, Bromand S, Aghebati-Maleki L, Szekeres-Bartho J. The evaluation of PD-1 and Tim-3 expression besides their related miRNAs in PBMCs of women with recurrent pregnancy loss. Immunol Lett 2024; 266:106837. [PMID: 38266686 DOI: 10.1016/j.imlet.2024.106837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2023] [Revised: 01/07/2024] [Accepted: 01/21/2024] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
Recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) is a multifactorial disorder, associated with immunologic abnormalities. During pregnancy, the maternal immune system uses different tolerance mechanisms to deal with a semi-allogenic fetus. The expression of immune checkpoints and their related miRNAs in immune cells can ensure pregnancy at the feto-maternal interface by modulating immune responses. This study aims to evaluate the expression of the immune checkpoint molecules PD-1 and Tim-3 on circulating T cells by flow cytometry, that of mir-138 and mir-155 in PBMCs by Real-time PCR, and the concentrations of TGF-β and IP-10 in the sera of women suffering from RPL as well as of gestational age-matched healthy pregnant women by ELISA. The percentage of PD-1 or Tim-3 expressing CD8+ T cells was significantly lower in RPL patients compared to the controls, while there was no significant difference in Tim-3 expression of CD4+ T cells between the two groups. The mRNA of both the PD-1 and Tim-3 genes were downregulated in PBMCs of RPL patients compared to controls, however, the difference was not statistically significant for Tim-3. The concentration of TGF-β was significantly lower and that of IP-10 was significantly higher in the sera of RPL patients than in those of the controls. The relative expression of mir-138 and miR-155 were significantly lower, in PBMCs of RPL patients than in those of healthy pregnant women. These data confirm that by affecting cytokine production, immune checkpoints, and microRNAs play a role in establishing the appropriate local immune environment for successful pregnancy. The wider analysis of immune checkpoints may also yield new biomarkers for the diagnosis and prevention of RPL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hamid Ahmadi
- Department of Medical Biology and Central Electron Microscope Laboratory, Medical School, Pécs University, Pécs, Hungary
| | | | - Mehdi Yousefi
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Behzad Baradaran
- Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Saro Bromand
- Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | | | - Julia Szekeres-Bartho
- Department of Medical Biology and Central Electron Microscope Laboratory, Medical School, Pécs University, Pécs, Hungary; János Szentágothai Research Centre, Pecs University, Pecs, Hungary; Endocrine Studies, Centre of Excellence, Pecs University, Pecs, Hungary; MTA - PTE Human Reproduction Research Group, Pecs, Hungary; National Laboratory of Human Reproduction, Pécs, Hungary.
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2
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Zhong X, Sun J, Zeng N, Xiong Y, An Y, Wang S, Xia Q. The Effect of Sex on the Therapeutic Efficiency of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Based on Randomized Controlled Trials. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:382. [PMID: 38254871 PMCID: PMC10814446 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16020382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2023] [Revised: 01/11/2024] [Accepted: 01/13/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sex is an important factor influencing the immune system, and the distribution of tumors, including their types and subtypes, is characterized by sexual dichotomy. The aim of this study was to investigate whether there is an association between sex and the treatment effect of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI). METHODS Four bibliographic databases were searched. Studies of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) assessing the efficacy of ICI were identified and used, and the primary endpoint was the difference in efficacy of ICI between males and females, presented as overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS). The study calculated the pooled HRs and 95% CIs for OS, PFS and RFS for males and females using a random effects model or a fixed effects model, and thereby assessed the effect of sex on the efficacy of ICI treatment. This study is registered with PROSPERO (CRD42022370939). RESULTS A total of 103 articles, including a total of 63,755 patients with cancer, were retrieved from the bibliographic database, of which approximately 70% were males. In studies with OS as the outcome, the combined hazard ratio (HR) was 0.77 (95% CI 0.74-0.79) for male patients treated with ICI and 0.81 (95% CI 0.78-0.85) for female patients compared to controls, respectively. The difference in efficacy between males and females was significant. CONCLUSIONS ICI therapy, under suitable conditions for its use, has a positive impact on survival in various types of tumors, and male patients benefit more than females. It may be necessary to develop different tumor immunotherapy strategies for patients of different sexes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Shaogang Wang
- Department and Institute of Urology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No.1095 Jiefang Avenue, Wuhan 430030, China; (X.Z.); (J.S.); (N.Z.); (Y.X.); (Y.A.)
| | - Qidong Xia
- Department and Institute of Urology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No.1095 Jiefang Avenue, Wuhan 430030, China; (X.Z.); (J.S.); (N.Z.); (Y.X.); (Y.A.)
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3
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Alexander KL, Ford ML. The Entangled World of Memory T Cells and Implications in Transplantation. Transplantation 2024; 108:137-147. [PMID: 37271872 PMCID: PMC10696133 DOI: 10.1097/tp.0000000000004647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Memory T cells that are specific for alloantigen can arise from a variety of stimuli, ranging from direct allogeneic sensitization from prior transplantation, blood transfusion, or pregnancy to the elicitation of pathogen-specific T cells that are cross-reactive with alloantigen. Regardless of the mechanism by which they arise, alloreactive memory T cells possess key metabolic, phenotypic, and functional properties that render them distinct from naive T cells. These properties affect the immune response to transplantation in 2 important ways: first, they can alter the speed, location, and effector mechanisms with which alloreactive T cells mediate allograft rejection, and second, they can alter T-cell susceptibility to immunosuppression. In this review, we discuss recent developments in understanding these properties of memory T cells and their implications for transplantation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mandy L. Ford
- Emory Transplant Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA
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4
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Venanzi FM, Bini M, Nuccio A, De Toma A, Lambertini M, Ogliari FR, Oresti S, Viganò MG, Brioschi E, Polignano M, Naldini MM, Riva S, Ferrara M, Fogale N, Damiano G, Russo V, Reni M, Veronesi G, Foggetti G, Conforti F, Bulotta A, Ferrara R. Sex dimorphism and cancer immunotherapy: May pregnancy solve the puzzle? Cancer Treat Rev 2023; 121:102648. [PMID: 37918169 DOI: 10.1016/j.ctrv.2023.102648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2023] [Revised: 10/09/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023]
Abstract
In the immunoncology era, growing evidence has shown a clear sex dimorphism in antitumor immune response with a potential impact on outcomes upon immunecheckpoint blockade (ICI) in patients with cancer. Sex dimorphism could affect tumor microenvironment composition and systemic anticancer immunity; however, the modifications induced by sex are heterogeneous. From a clinical perspective, six metanalyses have explored the role of sex in cancer patients receiving ICI with conflicting results. Environmental and reproductive factors may further jeopardize the sex-related heterogeneity in anticancer immune response. In particular, pregnancy is characterized by orchestrated changes in the immune system, some of which could be long lasting. A persistence of memory T-cells with a potential fetal-antigen specificity has been reported both in human and mice, suggesting that a previous pregnancy may positively impact cancer development or response to ICI, in case of fetal-antigen sharing from tumor cells. On the other hand, a previous pregnancy may also be associated with a regulatory memory characterized by increased tolerance and anergy towards cancer-fetal common antigens. Finally, fetal-maternal microchimerism could represent an additional source of chronic exposure to fetal antigens and may have important immunological implications on cancer development and ICI activity. So far, the role of pregnancy dimorphism (nulliparous vs parous) in women and the impact of pregnancy-related variables remain largely underexplored in cancer patients. In this review, we summarize the evidence regarding sex and pregnancy dimorphism in the context of immune response and anticancer immunotherapy and advocate the importance of analyzing pregnancy variables on ICIs clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Maria Venanzi
- Department of Oncology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy; Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
| | - Marta Bini
- Medical Oncology Department, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale Dei Tumori, Milan, Italy
| | - Antonio Nuccio
- Department of Oncology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy; Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Matteo Lambertini
- Department of Medical Oncology, Clinical di Oncologia Medica, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genova, Italy; Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties (DiMI), School of Medicine, University of Genova, Genoa, Italy
| | - Francesca Rita Ogliari
- Department of Oncology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy; Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
| | - Sara Oresti
- Department of Oncology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Maria Grazia Viganò
- Department of Oncology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Elena Brioschi
- Department of Oncology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Maggie Polignano
- Medical Oncology Department, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale Dei Tumori, Milan, Italy
| | - Matteo Maria Naldini
- Department of Oncology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy; Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
| | - Silvia Riva
- Department of Oncology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy; Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
| | - Michele Ferrara
- Department of Oncology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Nicola Fogale
- Department of Oncology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Damiano
- Department of Oncology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy; Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Russo
- Department of Oncology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy; Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
| | - Michele Reni
- Department of Oncology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy; Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
| | - Giulia Veronesi
- Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy; Division of Thoracic Surgery, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Giorgia Foggetti
- Department of Oncology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy; Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
| | - Fabio Conforti
- Oncology Unit, Humanitas Gavazzeni, 24125 Bergamo, Italy
| | - Alessandra Bulotta
- Department of Oncology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Roberto Ferrara
- Department of Oncology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy; Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy.
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5
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Campagna MP, Lechner-Scott J, Maltby VE, Lea RA, Butzkueven H, Jokubaitis VG. Conceiving complexity: Biological mechanisms underpinning the lasting effect of pregnancy on multiple sclerosis outcomes. Autoimmun Rev 2023; 22:103388. [PMID: 37352902 DOI: 10.1016/j.autrev.2023.103388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 06/18/2023] [Indexed: 06/25/2023]
Abstract
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune, demyelinating disease with the highest incidence in women of childbearing age. The effect of pregnancy on disease activity and progression is a primary concern for women with MS and their clinical teams. It is well established that inflammatory disease activity is naturally suppressed during pregnancy, followed by an increase postpartum. However, the long-term effect of pregnancy on disease progression is less understood. Having had a pregnancy before MS onset has been associated with an older age at first demyelinating event, an average delay of 3.4 years. After MS onset, there is conflicting evidence about the impact of pregnancy on long-term outcomes. The study with the longest follow-up to date showed that pregnancy was associated with a 0.36-point lower disability score after 10-years of disease in 1830 women. Understanding the biological mechanism by which pregnancy induces long-term beneficial effects on MS outcomes could provide mechanistic insights into the elusive determinants of secondary progression. Here, we review potential biological processes underlying this effect, including evidence that acute sex hormone exposure induces lasting changes to neurobiological and DNA methylation patterns, and how sustained methylation changes in immune cells can alter immune composition and function long-term.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Pia Campagna
- Department of Neuroscience, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
| | - Jeannette Lechner-Scott
- School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle, Hunter Medical Research Institute, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia; Department of Neurology, John Hunter Hospital, New Lambton Heights, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Vicki E Maltby
- School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle, Hunter Medical Research Institute, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia; Department of Neurology, John Hunter Hospital, New Lambton Heights, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Rodney A Lea
- School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle, Hunter Medical Research Institute, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia; Centre for Genomics and Personalised Health, School of Biomedical Science, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, Queensland, Australia
| | - Helmut Butzkueven
- Department of Neuroscience, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Department of Neurology, Alfred Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Vilija G Jokubaitis
- Department of Neuroscience, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Department of Neurology, Alfred Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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6
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Espinosa CA, Khan W, Khanam R, Das S, Khalid J, Pervin J, Kasaro MP, Contrepois K, Chang AL, Phongpreecha T, Michael B, Ellenberger M, Mehmood U, Hotwani A, Nizar A, Kabir F, Wong RJ, Becker M, Berson E, Culos A, De Francesco D, Mataraso S, Ravindra N, Thuraiappah M, Xenochristou M, Stelzer IA, Marić I, Dutta A, Raqib R, Ahmed S, Rahman S, Hasan ASMT, Ali SM, Juma MH, Rahman M, Aktar S, Deb S, Price JT, Wise PH, Winn VD, Druzin ML, Gibbs RS, Darmstadt GL, Murray JC, Stringer JSA, Gaudilliere B, Snyder MP, Angst MS, Rahman A, Baqui AH, Jehan F, Nisar MI, Vwalika B, Sazawal S, Shaw GM, Stevenson DK, Aghaeepour N. Multiomic signals associated with maternal epidemiological factors contributing to preterm birth in low- and middle-income countries. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eade7692. [PMID: 37224249 PMCID: PMC10208584 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.ade7692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Preterm birth (PTB) is the leading cause of death in children under five, yet comprehensive studies are hindered by its multiple complex etiologies. Epidemiological associations between PTB and maternal characteristics have been previously described. This work used multiomic profiling and multivariate modeling to investigate the biological signatures of these characteristics. Maternal covariates were collected during pregnancy from 13,841 pregnant women across five sites. Plasma samples from 231 participants were analyzed to generate proteomic, metabolomic, and lipidomic datasets. Machine learning models showed robust performance for the prediction of PTB (AUROC = 0.70), time-to-delivery (r = 0.65), maternal age (r = 0.59), gravidity (r = 0.56), and BMI (r = 0.81). Time-to-delivery biological correlates included fetal-associated proteins (e.g., ALPP, AFP, and PGF) and immune proteins (e.g., PD-L1, CCL28, and LIFR). Maternal age negatively correlated with collagen COL9A1, gravidity with endothelial NOS and inflammatory chemokine CXCL13, and BMI with leptin and structural protein FABP4. These results provide an integrated view of epidemiological factors associated with PTB and identify biological signatures of clinical covariates affecting this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camilo A. Espinosa
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Biomedical Data Science, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Waqasuddin Khan
- Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Medical College, The Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Rasheda Khanam
- Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Sayan Das
- Centre for Public Health Kinetics, New Delhi, Delhi, India
| | - Javairia Khalid
- Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Medical College, The Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Jesmin Pervin
- Maternal and Child Health Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Margaret P. Kasaro
- University of North Carolina Global Projects Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Kévin Contrepois
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Alan L. Chang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Biomedical Data Science, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Thanaphong Phongpreecha
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Biomedical Data Science, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Basil Michael
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Mathew Ellenberger
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Usma Mehmood
- Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Medical College, The Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Aneeta Hotwani
- Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Medical College, The Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Ambreen Nizar
- Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Medical College, The Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Furqan Kabir
- Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Medical College, The Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Ronald J. Wong
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Martin Becker
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Biomedical Data Science, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Eloise Berson
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Biomedical Data Science, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Anthony Culos
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Biomedical Data Science, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Computer Science, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Davide De Francesco
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Biomedical Data Science, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Samson Mataraso
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Biomedical Data Science, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Neal Ravindra
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Biomedical Data Science, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Melan Thuraiappah
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Biomedical Data Science, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Maria Xenochristou
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Biomedical Data Science, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Ina A. Stelzer
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Ivana Marić
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Arup Dutta
- Centre for Public Health Kinetics, New Delhi, Delhi, India
| | - Rubhana Raqib
- International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | | | | | | | - Said M. Ali
- Public Health Laboratory—Ivo de Carneri, Pemba, Zanzibar, Tanzania
| | - Mohamed H. Juma
- Public Health Laboratory—Ivo de Carneri, Pemba, Zanzibar, Tanzania
| | - Monjur Rahman
- Maternal and Child Health Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Shaki Aktar
- Maternal and Child Health Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Saikat Deb
- Centre for Public Health Kinetics, New Delhi, Delhi, India
- Public Health Laboratory—Ivo de Carneri, Pemba, Zanzibar, Tanzania
| | - Joan T. Price
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Zambia School of Medicine, Lusaka, Zambia
| | - Paul H. Wise
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Virginia D. Winn
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Maurice L. Druzin
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Ronald S. Gibbs
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Gary L. Darmstadt
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | | | - Jeffrey S. A. Stringer
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Brice Gaudilliere
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Michael P. Snyder
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Martin S. Angst
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Anisur Rahman
- Maternal and Child Health Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Abdullah H. Baqui
- Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Fyezah Jehan
- Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Medical College, The Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Imran Nisar
- Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Medical College, The Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Bellington Vwalika
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Zambia School of Medicine, Lusaka, Zambia
| | - Sunil Sazawal
- Centre for Public Health Kinetics, New Delhi, Delhi, India
- Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Gary M. Shaw
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - David K. Stevenson
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Nima Aghaeepour
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Biomedical Data Science, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
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7
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Laskewitz A, Kieffer TEC, van Benthem KL, Erwich JJHM, Faas MM, Prins JR. Differences in Immune phenotype in decidual tissue from multigravid women compared to primigravid women. Am J Reprod Immunol 2023; 89:e13658. [PMID: 36414574 DOI: 10.1111/aji.13658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2022] [Revised: 10/26/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
PROBLEM Women with a previous uncomplicated pregnancy have lower risks of immune-associated pregnancy disorders in a subsequent pregnancy. This could indicate a different maternal immune response in multigravid women compared to primigravid women. In a previous study, we showed persistent higher memory T cell proportions with higher CD69 expression after uncomplicated pregnancies. To our knowledge no studies have reported on immune cells in general, and immune memory cells and macrophages specifically in multigravid and primigravid women. METHOD OF STUDY T cells and macrophages were isolated from term decidua parietalis and decidua basalis tissue from healthy primigravid women (n = 12) and multigravid women (n = 12). Using flow cytometry, different T cell populations including memory T cells and macrophages were analyzed. To analyze whether a different immune phenotype is already present in early pregnancy, decidual tissue from uncomplicated ongoing pregnancies between 9 and 12 weeks of gestation from multigravida and primigravid women was investigated using qRT-PCR. RESULTS Nearly all T cell subsets analyzed in the decidua parietalis had significantly higher CD69+ proportions in multigravid women compared to primigravid women. A higher proportion of decidual (CD50- ) M2-like macrophages was found in the decidua parietalis in multigravid women compared to primigravid women. In first trimester decidual tissue higher FOXP3 mRNA expression was found in multigravid women compared to primigravid women. CONCLUSIONS This study shows that decidual tissue from multigravid women has a more activated and immunoregulatory phenotype compared to decidual tissue from primigravid women in early pregnancy and at term which could suggest a more balanced immune adaptation towards pregnancy after earlier uncomplicated pregnancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Laskewitz
- Division of Medical Biology, Department of Pathology and Medical Biology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Tom E C Kieffer
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.,Currently: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, OLVG, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Karlijn L van Benthem
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Jan Jaap H M Erwich
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Marijke M Faas
- Division of Medical Biology, Department of Pathology and Medical Biology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Jelmer R Prins
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
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8
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Jia X, He Y, Kang Z, Chen S, Sun W, Wang J, Lai S. Comparison of Fecal Microbiota Communities between Primiparous and Multiparous Cows during Non-Pregnancy and Pregnancy. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:ani13050869. [PMID: 36899725 PMCID: PMC10000135 DOI: 10.3390/ani13050869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2022] [Revised: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Imbalances in the gut microbiota composition may lead to several reproductive disorders and diseases during pregnancy. This study investigates the fecal microbiome composition between primiparous and multiparous cows during non-pregnancy and pregnancy to analyze the host-microbial balance at different stages. The fecal samples obtained from six cows before their first pregnancy (BG), six cows during their first pregnancy (FT), six open cows with more than three lactations (DCNP), and six pregnant cows with more than three lactations (DCP) were subjected to 16S rRNA sequencing, and a differential analysis of the fecal microbiota composition was performed. The three most abundant phyla in fecal microbiota were Firmicutes (48.68%), Bacteroidetes (34.45%), and Euryarchaeota (15.42%). There are 11 genera with more than 1.0% abundance at the genus level. Both alpha diversity and beta diversity showed significant differences among the four groups (p < 0.05). Further, primiparous women were associated with a profound alteration of the fecal microbiota. The most representative taxa included Rikenellaceae_RC9_gut_group, Prevotellaceae_UCG_003, Christensenellaceae_R_7_group, Ruminococcaceae UCG-005, Ruminococcaceae UCG-013, Ruminococcaceae UCG-014, Methanobrevibacter, and [Eubacterium] coprostanoligenes group, which were associated with energy metabolism and inflammation. The findings indicate that host-microbial interactions promote adaptation to pregnancy and will benefit the development of probiotics or fecal transplantation for treating dysbiosis and preventing disease development during pregnancy.
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9
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Muyayalo KP, Tao D, Lin XX, Zhang YJ. Age-related changes in CD4 + T and NK cell compartments may contribute to the occurrence of pregnancy loss in advanced maternal age. J Reprod Immunol 2023; 155:103790. [PMID: 36621090 DOI: 10.1016/j.jri.2022.103790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2022] [Revised: 12/03/2022] [Accepted: 12/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
A recent study characterized novel immune cell subsets (T, NK, and γδ T cell subsets) related to recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL). This study aims to assess whether these RPL-related immune cell subsets are affected by aging. The percentages of peripheral blood immunes cells from nulligravida women (NGW), women with a history of normal pregnancy (NP), and women with a history of pregnancy loss (PL) were detected by flow cytometry. The correlations between maternal age and cell percentages were assessed. We found a significant positive correlation between PL and maternal age. The percentages of effector memory CD4+ T (CD3+ CD4+ CD45RA¯ CCR7¯), terminally differentiated CD4+ T (CD3+ CD4+ CD45RA+ CCR7¯), and mature NK cells (CD3¯ CD56+lo) significantly increased with maternal age. A significant decrease in the percentage of Naïve CD4+ T cells (CD3+ CD4+ CD45RA+ CCR7+) with age was observed in women from the NP group. Women aged 35 or older had significantly higher percentages of effector memory CD4+ T cells, terminally differentiated CD4+ T cells, and mature NK cells than younger women. Maternal age positively correlates with terminally differentiated CD4+ T, effector memory CD4+ T, and mature NK cell percentages. In contrast, an inverse correlation was observed between Naïve CD4+ T cell and age among women from the NP group. Our findings indicate that age-related CD4+ T and NK cell dysregulation might be involved in the pathogenesis of PL in women with advanced maternal age. The underlying mechanism needs further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kahindo P Muyayalo
- Institute of Reproductive Health, Center for Reproductive Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, PR China.
| | - Ding Tao
- School of Data Science, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, PR China
| | - Xin-Xiu Lin
- Institute of Reproductive Health, Center for Reproductive Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, PR China
| | - Yu-Jing Zhang
- Institute of Reproductive Health, Center for Reproductive Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, PR China
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10
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Decreased ratio of FOXP3 +/FOXP3 -CD45RA +CD4 + T cells in peripheral blood is associated with unexplained infertility and ART failure. J Reprod Immunol 2023; 155:103793. [PMID: 36603467 DOI: 10.1016/j.jri.2022.103793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2022] [Revised: 12/17/2022] [Accepted: 12/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Unexplained infertility has a huge social impact and is a significant challenge for both clinicians and researchers. Previous studies have shown the involvement of multiple factors in infertility. Among these, the subset of regulatory T cells is of particular interest for the maternal tolerance towards the semi-allogenic fetus. We investigated circulating CD45RA+ regulatory and non-regulatory CD4+ T cells in healthy women and patients with unexplained infertility in the context of thymic output and peripheral proliferation. The proportion of FOXP3+ and FOXP3-CD45RA+CD4+ T cells in peripheral blood was studied in control groups of healthy parous and nulliparous (never-pregnant) women and in patients with unexplained infertility. In the same groups thymic output and peripheral proliferation were defined by the sj/βTREC ratio, and signal joint T-cell receptor excision circles (sjTREC) and Ki67 expression, respectively. In parous women a decrease in sjTREC/105 cells and CD45RA+ T lymphocytes, compared to nulliparous group was found. At the same time, the proportion of FOXP3-CD45RA+CD4+ cells, but not FOXP3+CD45RA+ Tregs was reduced. In contrast, in patients with unsuccessful pregnancy, proportions of both regulatory and non-regulatory T cell counterparts were lower. Taken together, our results provide evidence for group-specific properties in the CD45RA+ T cell compartment between healthy parous, nulliparous and women with unexplained infertility.
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11
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Herrock O, Deer E, LaMarca B. Setting a stage: Inflammation during preeclampsia and postpartum. Front Physiol 2023; 14:1130116. [PMID: 36909242 PMCID: PMC9995795 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2023.1130116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Preeclampsia (PE) is a leading cause of maternal and fetal mortality worldwide. The immune system plays a critical role in normal pregnancy progression; however, inappropriate inflammatory responses have been consistently linked with PE pathophysiology. This inflammatory phenotype consists of activation of the innate immune system, adaptive immune system, and increased inflammatory mediators in circulation. Moreover, recent studies have shown that the inflammatory profile seen in PE persists into the postpartum period. This manuscript aims to highlight recent advances in research relating to inflammation in PE as well as the inflammation that persists postpartum in women after a PE pregnancy. With the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been an increase in obstetric disorders associated with COVID-19 infection during pregnancy. This manuscript also aims to shed light on the relationship between COVID-19 infection during pregnancy and the increased incidence of PE in these women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Owen Herrock
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, United States
| | - Evangeline Deer
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, United States
| | - Babbette LaMarca
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, United States.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, United States
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12
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Wu HM, Chen LH, Hsu LT, Lai CH. Immune Tolerance of Embryo Implantation and Pregnancy: The Role of Human Decidual Stromal Cell- and Embryonic-Derived Extracellular Vesicles. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232113382. [PMID: 36362169 PMCID: PMC9658721 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232113382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2022] [Revised: 10/30/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Embryo–endometrial communication plays a critical role in embryo implantation and the establishment of a successful pregnancy. Successful pregnancy outcomes involve maternal immune modulation during embryo implantation. The endometrium is usually primed and immunomodulated by steroid hormones and embryo signals for subsequent embryo implantation and the maintenance of pregnancy. The roles of extracellular vesicles (EVs) and microRNAs for the embryo–maternal interactions have been elucidated recently. New evidence shows that endometrial EVs and trophectoderm-originated EV cargo, including microRNAs, proteins, and lipids in the physiological microenvironment, regulate maternal immunomodulation for embryo implantation and subsequent pregnancy. On the other hand, trophoblast-derived EVs also control the cross-communication between the trophoblasts and immune cells. The exploration of EV functions and mechanisms in the processes of embryo implantation and pregnancy will shed light on a practical tool for the diagnostic or therapeutic approaches to reproductive medicine and infertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hsien-Ming Wu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Linkou Medical Center, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan
| | - Liang-Hsuan Chen
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Linkou Medical Center, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan
| | - Le-Tien Hsu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Linkou Medical Center, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan
| | - Chyong-Huey Lai
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Linkou Medical Center, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan
- Gynecologic Cancer Research Center, Linkou Medical Center, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +886-3-328-1200 (ext. 8254)
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13
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Fenizia C, Cetin I, Mileto D, Vanetti C, Saulle I, Di Giminiani M, Saresella M, Parisi F, Trabattoni D, Clerici M, Biasin M, Savasi V. Pregnant Women Develop a Specific Immunological Long-Lived Memory Against SARS-COV-2. Front Immunol 2022; 13:827889. [PMID: 35251011 PMCID: PMC8889908 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.827889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
It is well established that pregnancy induces deep changes in the immune system. This is part of the physiological adaptation of the female organism to the pregnancy and the immunological tolerance toward the fetus. Indeed, over the three trimesters, the suppressive T regulatory lymphocytes are progressively more represented, while the expression of co-stimulatory molecules decreases overtime. Such adaptations relate to an increased risk of infections and progression to severe disease in pregnant women, potentially resulting in an altered generation of long-lived specific immunological memory of infection contracted during pregnancy. How potent is the immune response against SARS-CoV-2 in infected pregnant women and how long the specific SARS-CoV-2 immunity might last need to be urgently addressed, especially considering the current vaccinal campaign. To address these questions, we analyzed the long-term immunological response upon SARS-CoV-2 infection in pregnant women from delivery to a six-months follow-up. In particular, we investigated the specific antibody production, T cell memory subsets, and inflammation profile. Results show that 80% developed an anti-SARS-CoV-2-specific IgG response, comparable with the general population. While IgG were present only in 50% of the asymptomatic subjects, the antibody production was elicited by infection in all the mild-to-critical patients. The specific T-cell memory subsets rebalanced over-time, and the pro-inflammatory profile triggered by specific SARS-CoV-2 stimulation faded away. These results shed light on SARS-CoV-2-specific immunity in pregnant women; understanding the immunological dynamics of the immune system in response to SARS-CoV-2 is essential for defining proper obstetric management of pregnant women and fine tune gender-specific vaccinal plans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudio Fenizia
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.,Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Irene Cetin
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.,Department of Woman, Mother and Neonate Buzzi Children's Hospital, ASST Fatebenefratelli-Sacco, Milan, Italy
| | - Davide Mileto
- Clinical Microbiology, Virology and Bio-emergence Diagnosis, ASST Fatebenefratelli-Sacco, Milan, Italy
| | - Claudia Vanetti
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.,Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Irma Saulle
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.,Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Maria Di Giminiani
- Unit of Obstetrics and Gynecology, ASST Fatebenefratelli-Sacco, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Francesca Parisi
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.,Unit of Obstetrics and Gynecology, ASST Fatebenefratelli-Sacco, Milan, Italy
| | - Daria Trabattoni
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Mario Clerici
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.,Fondazione don Carlo Gnocchi, IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Mara Biasin
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Valeria Savasi
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.,Unit of Obstetrics and Gynecology, ASST Fatebenefratelli-Sacco, Milan, Italy
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14
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Ryan CP, Jones MJ, Edgar RD, Lee NR, Kobor MS, McDade TW, Kuzawa CW. Immune cell type and DNA methylation vary with reproductive status in women: possible pathways for costs of reproduction. Evol Med Public Health 2022; 10:47-58. [PMID: 35169479 PMCID: PMC8841013 DOI: 10.1093/emph/eoac003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2021] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Consistent with evolutionarily theorized costs of reproduction (CoR), reproductive history in women is associated with life expectancy and susceptibility to certain cancers, autoimmune disorders and metabolic disease. Immunological changes originating during reproduction may help explain some of these relationships. Methodology To explore the potential role of the immune system in female CoR, we characterized leukocyte composition and regulatory processes using DNA methylation (DNAm) in a cross-sectional cohort of young (20–22 years old) women differing in reproductive status. Results Compared to nulliparity, pregnancy was characterized by differential methylation at 828 sites, 96% of which were hypomethylated and enriched for genes associated with T-cell activation, innate immunity, pre-eclampsia and neoplasia. Breastfeeding was associated with differential methylation at 1107 sites (71% hypermethylated), enriched for genes involved in metabolism, immune self-recognition and neurogenesis. There were no significant differences in DNAm between nulliparous and parous women. However, compared to nullipara, pregnant women had lower proportions of B, CD4T, CD8T and natural killer (NK) cells, and higher proportions of granulocytes and monocytes. Monocyte counts were lower and NK counts higher among breastfeeding women, and remained so among parous women. Implications Our findings point to widespread differences in DNAm during pregnancy and lactation. These effects appear largely transient, but may accumulate with gravidity become detectable as women age. Nulliparous and parous women differed in leukocyte composition, consistent with more persistent effects of reproduction on cell type. These findings support transient (leukocyte DNAm) and persistent (cell composition) changes associated with reproduction in women, illuminating potential pathways contributing to CoR. Lay Summary: Evolutionary theory and epidemiology support costs of reproduction (CoR) to women’s health that may involve changes in immune function. We report differences in immune cell composition and gene regulation during pregnancy and breastfeeding. While many of these differences appear transient, immune cell composition may remain, suggesting mechanisms for female CoR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Calen P Ryan
- Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Meaghan J Jones
- Department of Biochemistry and Medical Genetics, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3E 0J9, Canada.,Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3E 0J9, Canada
| | | | - Nanette R Lee
- University of San Carlos Office of Population Studies Foundation Inc., Cebu City 6000, Philippines
| | - Michael S Kobor
- BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada.,Child and Brain Development Program, Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, Toronto, ON M5G 1Z8, Canada
| | - Thomas W McDade
- Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA.,Child and Brain Development Program, Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, Toronto, ON M5G 1Z8, Canada.,Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Christopher W Kuzawa
- Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA.,Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
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15
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Understanding human immunity in idiopathic recurrent pregnancy loss. Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol 2021; 270:17-29. [PMID: 35007974 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejogrb.2021.12.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2021] [Revised: 12/12/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Miscarriage, defined as the loss of a pregnancy before a viable gestation, affects 1 in 6 couples. Recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL), defined as two or more miscarriages, affects up to 1.9% of couples. The physical, psychological, and financial impact of miscarriage can be substantial. However, despite its multifactorial etiology, for up to 50% of couples a reason behind this condition cannot be identified, termed 'idiopathic RPL'. Much recent research has strived to understand this, with immune dysregulation being a source of particular interest. In this short review we summarize the current evidence on the complex role of the immune system both pre- and early post-conception in RPL. A key question is whether systemic peripheral blood markers, in particular natural killer cell and T cells, may be utilized to accurately predict and/ or diagnose those pregnancies at high risk of loss. Given the invasive nature of endometrial testing, identification of reliable peripheral immune biomarkers is particularly appealing. Clinical trials using potent immunomodulatory agents, including intravenous immunoglobulin, donor leukocyte immunization, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α inhibitors, have been undertaken with the primary objective of preventing miscarriage in women with RPL. Standardisation of both diagnostic and prognostic immune cell testing assays is required to permit accurate identification of those women who may benefit from immunomodulation. Prompt clarification is required to meet the increasing expectation from couples and clinicians, as without these advancements women are at risk of exposure to potent immune-therapies and subsequent studies are at risk of failure, generating further controversy regarding the role of immune dysregulation in women with RPL. Through this review we highlight clear gaps in our current knowledge on immune activity in RPL.
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16
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Gemmill A, Weiss J. The relationship between fertility history and incident dementia in the US Health and Retirement Study. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci 2021; 77:1118-1131. [PMID: 34614155 DOI: 10.1093/geronb/gbab183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES An emerging literature suggests that fertility history, which includes measures of parity and birth timing, may influence cognitive health in older ages, especially among women given their differential exposure to pregnancy and sex hormones. Yet, few studies have examined associations between measures of fertility history and incident dementia in population-based samples. METHODS We examined the associations between parity, younger age at first birth, and older age at last birth with incident dementia over a 16-year period in a prospective sample of 15,361 men and women aged 51-100 years at baseline drawn from the Health and Retirement Study. We used Cox regression and the Fine and Gray model to obtain cause-specific (csHRs) and subdistribution hazard ratios (sdHRs) for incident dementia from gender-stratified models in which we accounted for the semi-competing risk of death. RESULTS During the follow-up period (median 13.0 years), the crude incidence rate for dementia was 16.6 and 19.9 per 1,000 person-years for men and women, respectively. In crude models estimating csHRs, higher parity (vs. parity 2) and younger age at first birth were associated with increased risk of dementia for both genders. These associations did not persist after full covariate adjustment. Across all models in which we estimated sdHRs, we observed a positive relationship between older age at last birth and incident dementia for women only. DISCUSSION In this population-based, multi-ethnic cohort, we observed limited evidence for an association between measures of fertility history and incident dementia among men and women after adjusting for potential confounders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison Gemmill
- Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jordan Weiss
- Department of Demography, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
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17
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Huang X, Wang L, Zhao S, Liu H, Chen S, Wu L, Liu L, Ding J, Yang H, Maxwell A, Yin Z, Mor G, Liao A. Pregnancy Induces an Immunological Memory Characterized by Maternal Immune Alterations Through Specific Genes Methylation. Front Immunol 2021; 12:686676. [PMID: 34163485 PMCID: PMC8215664 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.686676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2021] [Accepted: 05/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
During pregnancy, the maternal immune system undergoes major adaptive modifications that are necessary for the acceptance and protection of the fetus. It has been postulated that these modifications are temporary and limited to the time of pregnancy. Growing evidence suggests that pregnancy has a long-term impact on maternal health, especially among women with pregnancy complications, such as preeclampsia (PE). In addition, the presence of multiple immunological-associated changes in women that remain long after delivery has been reported. To explain these long-term modifications, we hypothesized that pregnancy induces long-term immunological memory with effects on maternal well-being. To test this hypothesis, we evaluated the immunological phenotype of circulating immune cells in women at least 1 year after a normal pregnancy and after pregnancy complicated by PE. Using multiparameter flow cytometry (FCM) and whole-genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS), we demonstrate that pregnancy has a long-term effect on the maternal immune cell populations and that this effect differs between normal pregnancy and pregnancy complicated by PE; furthermore, these modifications are due to changes in the maternal methylation status of genes that are associated with T cell and NK cell differentiation and function. We propose the existence of an "immunological memory of pregnancy (IMOP)" as an evolutionary advantage for the success of future pregnancies and the proper adaptation to the microchimeric status established during pregnancy. Our findings demonstrate that the type of immune cell populations modified during pregnancy may have an impact on subsequent pregnancy and future maternal health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaobo Huang
- Institute of Reproductive Health, Center for Reproductive Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Liling Wang
- Institute of Reproductive Health, Center for Reproductive Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Sijia Zhao
- Institute of Reproductive Health, Center for Reproductive Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Hong Liu
- Institute of Reproductive Health, Center for Reproductive Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Si Chen
- Hubei Province Engineering Research Center of Healthy Food, School of Biology and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan, China
| | - Li Wu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Center for Reproductive Medicine, Anhui Province Hospital Affiliated to Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Liping Liu
- Wuhan Women and Children Medical Care Center, Wuhan, China
| | - Jiahui Ding
- C.S. Mott Center for Human Growth and Development, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, United States
| | - Hengwen Yang
- Zhuhai Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhuhai People’s Hospital Affiliated With Jinan University, Jinan University, Zhuhai, China
- The Biomedical Translational Research Institute, Faculty of Medical Science, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Anthony Maxwell
- C.S. Mott Center for Human Growth and Development, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, United States
| | - Zhinan Yin
- Zhuhai Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhuhai People’s Hospital Affiliated With Jinan University, Jinan University, Zhuhai, China
- The Biomedical Translational Research Institute, Faculty of Medical Science, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Gil Mor
- Institute of Reproductive Health, Center for Reproductive Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- C.S. Mott Center for Human Growth and Development, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, United States
| | - Aihua Liao
- Institute of Reproductive Health, Center for Reproductive Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
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18
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Koetzier SC, Neuteboom RF, Wierenga-Wolf AF, Melief MJ, de Mol CL, van Rijswijk A, Dik WA, Broux B, van der Wal R, van den Berg SAA, Smolders J, van Luijn MM. Effector T Helper Cells Are Selectively Controlled During Pregnancy and Related to a Postpartum Relapse in Multiple Sclerosis. Front Immunol 2021; 12:642038. [PMID: 33790911 PMCID: PMC8005718 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.642038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2020] [Accepted: 02/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients are protected from relapses during pregnancy and have an increased relapse risk after delivery. It is unknown how pregnancy controls disease-contributing CD4+ T helper (Th) cells and whether this differs in MS patients who experience a postpartum relapse. Here, we studied the effector phenotype of Th cells in relation to pregnancy and postpartum relapse occurrence in MS. Methods: Memory skewing and activation of effector Th subsets were analyzed in paired third trimester and postpartum blood of 19 MS patients with and without a postpartum relapse and 12 healthy controls. Ex vivo results were associated with circulating levels of pregnancy-induced hormones and mirrored in vitro by exposing proliferating Th cells to corresponding serum samples. Results: Based on HSNE-guided analyses, we found that effector memory proportions of Th cells were increased in postpartum vs. third trimester samples from MS patients without a postpartum relapse. This was not seen for relapsing patients or healthy controls. CXCR3 was upregulated on postpartum memory Th cells, except for relapsing patients. These changes were verified by adding sera from the same individuals to proliferating Th cells, but did not associate with third trimester cortisol, estradiol or progesterone levels. For relapsing patients, activated memory Th cells of both third trimester and postpartum samples produced higher levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Conclusion: Effector Th cells are differentially regulated during pregnancy in MS patients, likely via serum-related factors beyond the studied hormones. The pro-inflammatory state of memory Th cells during pregnancy may predict a postpartum relapse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven C Koetzier
- Department of Immunology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands.,MS Center ErasMS, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Rinze F Neuteboom
- MS Center ErasMS, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands.,Department of Neurology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Annet F Wierenga-Wolf
- Department of Immunology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands.,MS Center ErasMS, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Marie-José Melief
- Department of Immunology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands.,MS Center ErasMS, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - C Louk de Mol
- MS Center ErasMS, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands.,Department of Neurology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Angelique van Rijswijk
- Laboratory Medical Immunology, Department of Immunology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Willem A Dik
- Laboratory Medical Immunology, Department of Immunology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Bieke Broux
- Neuro-Immune Connections and Repair Lab, Department of Immunology and Infection, Biomedical Research Institute, University MS Center, Hasselt University, Hasselt, Belgium
| | - Ronald van der Wal
- Department of Clinical Chemistry, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Sjoerd A A van den Berg
- Department of Clinical Chemistry, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands.,Department of Internal Medicine, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Joost Smolders
- Department of Immunology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands.,MS Center ErasMS, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands.,Department of Neurology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands.,Neuroimmunology Researchgroup, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Marvin M van Luijn
- Department of Immunology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands.,MS Center ErasMS, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands
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19
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Tasadduq R, Ajmal L, Batool F, Zafar T, Babar A, Riasat A, Shakoori AR. Interplay of immune components and their association with recurrent pregnancy loss. Hum Immunol 2021; 82:162-169. [PMID: 33581927 DOI: 10.1016/j.humimm.2021.01.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2020] [Revised: 01/18/2021] [Accepted: 01/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Maintenance and progression of pregnancy is an intricate process governed by a variety of developmental cues. Recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) is a complication experienced by expecting mothers that is defined as three or more consecutive pregnancy losses. This review focuses on the dysfunctions of the immune system as one of the key contributors towards RPL. The current data suggests that the alloimmune and autoimmune factors contribute to the loss of fetus. Such causes despite being recognized as a definitive reason for recurrent pregnancy loss, are still under extensive investigation with new parameters being discovered and scrutinized for their association with RPLs. More in-depth and high throughput studies are required for devising better diagnostic tools and management strategies for the affected female so that they can carry their pregnancy to term.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raazia Tasadduq
- Department of Biochemistry, Kinnaird College for Women, 93 Jail Road, G.O.R-1, Lahore, Pakistan.
| | - Laiba Ajmal
- Department of Biochemistry, Kinnaird College for Women, 93 Jail Road, G.O.R-1, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Farhat Batool
- Department of Biochemistry, Kinnaird College for Women, 93 Jail Road, G.O.R-1, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Tehniyat Zafar
- Department of Biochemistry, Kinnaird College for Women, 93 Jail Road, G.O.R-1, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Aleena Babar
- Department of Biochemistry, Kinnaird College for Women, 93 Jail Road, G.O.R-1, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Amna Riasat
- Department of Biochemistry, Kinnaird College for Women, 93 Jail Road, G.O.R-1, Lahore, Pakistan
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20
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Abstract
Immunologic memory is the ability of adaptive immune system to quickly and specifically recognize previously encountered antigens and initiate an effector response. Alloreactive memory cells can mount rapid and robust responses to the transplanted organ resulting in allograft injury. Thus preexisting humoral or cellular memory alloresponses are typically associated with poor graft outcomes in experimental and clinical transplantation. While both B and T lymphocytes exhibit memory responses, this review discusses recent updates on the biology of memory T cells and their relevance to the field of transplantation. Three major areas of focus are the emergence and characterization of tissue resident memory T cells, manipulation of T cell metabolic pathways, and the latest promising approaches to targeting detrimental T cell memory in the settings of organ transplantation.
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21
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Lim SJ, Seyfang A, Dutra S, Kane B, Groer M. Gene expression responses to Zika virus infection in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from pregnant and non-pregnant women. Microbiologyopen 2020; 9:e1134. [PMID: 33211409 PMCID: PMC7755798 DOI: 10.1002/mbo3.1134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2020] [Revised: 10/03/2020] [Accepted: 10/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Congenital Zika syndrome is caused by mother‐to‐fetus transmission of the Zika virus (ZIKV). Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) are permissive to ZIKV infection and may carry ZIKV to the placenta. To identify pregnancy‐related differences in PBMC responses against ZIKV infection, we compared gene expression profiles of ZIKV‐infected and non‐infected PBMCs cultured from pregnant and non‐pregnant women. ZIKV‐infected pregnant conditions generally overexpressed M1‐shifted pro‐inflammatory responses and underexpressed M2‐shifted anti‐inflammatory responses. Additionally, transcripts involved in osteoclast differentiation and cardiac myopathies were upregulated following ZIKV infection. Our results suggest potential roles of pregnancy‐induced immune dysregulation in shaping neonatal pathology associated with ZIKV infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shen Jean Lim
- College of Nursing, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Andreas Seyfang
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Samia Dutra
- College of Nursing, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Bradley Kane
- College of Nursing, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Maureen Groer
- College of Nursing, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
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22
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de Lange AG, Barth C, Kaufmann T, Anatürk M, Suri S, Ebmeier KP, Westlye LT. The maternal brain: Region-specific patterns of brain aging are traceable decades after childbirth. Hum Brain Mapp 2020; 41:4718-4729. [PMID: 32767637 PMCID: PMC7555081 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2020] [Revised: 06/30/2020] [Accepted: 07/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Pregnancy involves maternal brain adaptations, but little is known about how parity influences women's brain aging trajectories later in life. In this study, we replicated previous findings showing less apparent brain aging in women with a history of childbirths, and identified regional brain aging patterns linked to parity in 19,787 middle- and older-aged women. Using novel applications of brain-age prediction methods, we found that a higher number of previous childbirths were linked to less apparent brain aging in striatal and limbic regions. The strongest effect was found in the accumbens-a key region in the mesolimbic reward system, which plays an important role in maternal behavior. While only prospective longitudinal studies would be conclusive, our findings indicate that subcortical brain modulations during pregnancy and postpartum may be traceable decades after childbirth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ann‐Marie G. de Lange
- Department of PsychiatryUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of OsloOsloNorway
- NORMENT, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, & Division of Mental Health and AddictionOslo University HospitalOsloNorway
| | - Claudia Barth
- NORMENT, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, & Division of Mental Health and AddictionOslo University HospitalOsloNorway
| | - Tobias Kaufmann
- NORMENT, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, & Division of Mental Health and AddictionOslo University HospitalOsloNorway
| | - Melis Anatürk
- Department of PsychiatryUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative NeuroimagingUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
| | - Sana Suri
- Department of PsychiatryUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative NeuroimagingUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
| | | | - Lars T. Westlye
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of OsloOsloNorway
- NORMENT, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, & Division of Mental Health and AddictionOslo University HospitalOsloNorway
- KG Jebsen Centre for Neurodevelopmental DisordersUniversity of OsloOsloNorway
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23
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Kieffer TEC, Laskewitz A, Vledder A, Scherjon SA, Faas MM, Prins JR. Decidual memory T-cell subsets and memory T-cell stimulatory cytokines in early- and late-onset preeclampsia. Am J Reprod Immunol 2020; 84:e13293. [PMID: 32572999 PMCID: PMC7540032 DOI: 10.1111/aji.13293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2020] [Revised: 06/03/2020] [Accepted: 06/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
PROBLEM Preeclampsia is a major cause of fetal and maternal mortality and morbidity. Disturbed fetal-maternal immune tolerance, and therewith memory T cells, might be involved in its etiology. This study aims to give insight into memory T-cell populations and its associated cytokines in the decidual layers in early-onset preeclampsia (EO-PE) and late-onset preeclampsia (LO-PE). METHOD OF STUDY Lymphocytes were isolated from the decidua parietalis and basalis from EO-PE (n = 6), LO-PE (n = 8) and healthy (n = 15) pregnancies. CD4+ and CD8+ central- (CCR7+ ), effector- (CCR7- ), tissue resident- (CD103+ ), and regulatory- (Foxp3+ ) memory cell (CD45RO+ ) populations and their activation status (CD69+ ) were analyzed using flow cytometry. qRT-PCR analysis was performed on decidua parietalis and basalis biopsies to detect mRNA expression of interferon-gamma, interleukin-1B, IL2, IL6, IL7, IL8, IL10, IL15, and IL23. RESULTS CD4+ central-memory (CM) cell proportions were lower in the decidua parietalis in LO-PE (P < .0001) and EO-PE (P < .01) compared to healthy pregnancies. CD8+ memory (P < .05) and CD8+ CM (P < .01) cell proportions were also lower in the decidua parietalis in EO-PE compared to healthy pregnancies. This was accompanied by higher IL15 (P < .05) and IL23 (P < .05) and lower IL7 (P < .05) mRNA expression in decidua basalis biopsies from EO-PE compared to healthy pregnancies, analyzed by qPCR. CONCLUSION In conclusion, decidual memory T-cell proportions, their activation status, and associated cytokines are altered in preeclampsia and might therefore be involved in fetal-maternal immune tolerance and the pathophysiology of preeclampsia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom E. C. Kieffer
- Department of Obstetrics and GynecologyUniversity Medical Center GroningenUniversity of GroningenGroningenThe Netherlands
| | - Anne Laskewitz
- Division of Medical BiologyDepartment of Pathology and Medical BiologyUniversity Medical Center GroningenUniversity of GroningenGroningenThe Netherlands
| | - Annegé Vledder
- Department of Obstetrics and GynecologyUniversity Medical Center GroningenUniversity of GroningenGroningenThe Netherlands
| | - Sicco A. Scherjon
- Department of Obstetrics and GynecologyUniversity Medical Center GroningenUniversity of GroningenGroningenThe Netherlands
| | - Marijke M. Faas
- Division of Medical BiologyDepartment of Pathology and Medical BiologyUniversity Medical Center GroningenUniversity of GroningenGroningenThe Netherlands
| | - Jelmer R. Prins
- Department of Obstetrics and GynecologyUniversity Medical Center GroningenUniversity of GroningenGroningenThe Netherlands
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24
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Bozward AG, Wootton GE, Podstawka O, Oo YH. Autoimmune Hepatitis: Tolerogenic Immunological State During Pregnancy and Immune Escape in Post-partum. Front Immunol 2020; 11:591380. [PMID: 33072138 PMCID: PMC7541906 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.591380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2020] [Accepted: 09/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The maternal immune system engages in a fine balancing act during pregnancy by simultaneously maintaining immune tolerance to the fetus and immune responses to protect against invading organisms. Pregnancy is an intricately orchestrated process where effector immune cells with fetal specificity are selectively silenced. This requires a sustained immune suppressive state not only by expansion of maternal Foxp3+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) but also by leaning the immune clock toward a Th2 dominant arm. The fetus, known as a semi-allograft or temporary-self, leads to remission of autoimmune hepatitis during pregnancy. However, this tolerogenic immune state reverts back to a Th1 dominant arm, resulting in post-partum flare of AIH. Various hormones play a significant role in endocrine-immune axis during pregnancy. The placenta functions as a barrier between the maternal immune system and the fetus also plays a pivotal role in creating a tolerogenic environment during pregnancy. We review the evidence of immune tolerance during pregnancy and immune escape at post-partum period, focusing on patients with autoimmune hepatitis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amber G Bozward
- Centre for Liver and Gastroenterology Research, NIHR Birmingham Biomedical Research Centre, Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom.,Centre for Rare Diseases, European Reference Network ERN Rare-Liver, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Grace E Wootton
- Centre for Liver and Gastroenterology Research, NIHR Birmingham Biomedical Research Centre, Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom.,Centre for Rare Diseases, European Reference Network ERN Rare-Liver, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Oskar Podstawka
- Centre for Liver and Gastroenterology Research, NIHR Birmingham Biomedical Research Centre, Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Ye H Oo
- Centre for Liver and Gastroenterology Research, NIHR Birmingham Biomedical Research Centre, Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom.,Centre for Rare Diseases, European Reference Network ERN Rare-Liver, Birmingham, United Kingdom.,Liver Transplant and Hepatology Unit, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, United Kingdom
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25
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Eikmans M, van der Zwan A, Claas FHJ, van der Hoorn ML, Heidt S. Got your mother in a whirl: The role of maternal T cells and myeloid cells in pregnancy. HLA 2020; 96:561-579. [PMID: 32841539 DOI: 10.1111/tan.14055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2020] [Revised: 07/09/2020] [Accepted: 07/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Appropriate development of the placenta is required for healthy pregnancy to occur. After implantation of the fertilized blastocyst, fetal trophoblasts invade the endometrium and myometrium of the mother's uterus to establish placentation. In this process, fetal trophoblasts encounter maternal immune cells. In this review, we focus on the role of maternal T cells and myeloid cells (macrophages, dendritic cells) in pregnancy and their interaction with trophoblasts. To retain immunologic tolerization, trophoblasts evade immune recognition by T cells and produce factors that modulate their phenotype and function. On top of that, the local environment at the maternal-fetal interface favors expansion of regulatory T cells. Macrophages and dendritic cells are essential in maintaining a healthy pregnancy. They produce soluble factors and act as antigen-presenting cells, thereby interacting with T cells. Herein, M2 macrophages, immature dendritic cells, CD4+ Th2 cells, and regulatory T cells represent an axis that maintains a local immune tolerant environment. We consider outstanding issues concerning these cell types and their pathways, which need to be addressed in future investigations. Data from recent single-cell sequencing experiments of the placental bed, to study heterogeneity of maternal immune cells and to predict cell-cell interactions, are discussed. Novel ways for long-term culturing of primary trophoblasts allow for cell-cell interaction studies in a functional way. Future directions should include study of the functionality of currently known and newly identified decidual immune cell subsets in healthy and complicated pregnancies, and their interaction with and modulation by trophoblast cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Eikmans
- Department of Immunology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Anita van der Zwan
- Department of Immunology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Frans H J Claas
- Department of Immunology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | | | - Sebastiaan Heidt
- Department of Immunology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
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26
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de Lange AMG, Barth C, Kaufmann T, Maximov II, van der Meer D, Agartz I, Westlye LT. Women's brain aging: Effects of sex-hormone exposure, pregnancies, and genetic risk for Alzheimer's disease. Hum Brain Mapp 2020; 41:5141-5150. [PMID: 32856754 PMCID: PMC7670641 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2020] [Revised: 07/17/2020] [Accepted: 08/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Sex hormones such as estrogen fluctuate across the female lifespan, with high levels during reproductive years and natural decline during the transition to menopause. Women's exposure to estrogen may influence their heightened risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD) relative to men, but little is known about how it affects normal brain aging. Recent findings from the UK Biobank demonstrate less apparent brain aging in women with a history of multiple childbirths, highlighting a potential link between sex-hormone exposure and brain aging. We investigated endogenous and exogenous sex-hormone exposure, genetic risk for AD, and neuroimaging-derived biomarkers for brain aging in 16,854 middle to older-aged women. The results showed that as opposed to parity, higher cumulative sex-hormone exposure was associated with more evident brain aging, indicating that i) high levels of cumulative exposure to sex-hormones may have adverse effects on the brain, and ii) beneficial effects of pregnancies on the female brain are not solely attributable to modulations in sex-hormone exposure. In addition, for women using hormonal replacement therapy (HRT), starting treatment earlier was associated with less evident brain aging, but only in women with a genetic risk for AD. Genetic factors may thus contribute to how timing of HRT initiation influences women's brain aging trajectories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ann-Marie G de Lange
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.,NORMENT, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, & Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, UK
| | - Claudia Barth
- NORMENT, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, & Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Tobias Kaufmann
- NORMENT, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, & Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Ivan I Maximov
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.,NORMENT, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, & Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Dennis van der Meer
- NORMENT, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, & Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.,School of Mental Health and Neuroscience, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Ingrid Agartz
- NORMENT, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, & Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.,Department of Psychiatry, Diakonhjemmet Hospital, Oslo, Norway.,Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Centre for Psychiatric Research, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.,KG Jebsen Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Lars T Westlye
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.,NORMENT, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, & Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.,KG Jebsen Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
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27
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Barth C, de Lange AMG. Towards an understanding of women's brain aging: the immunology of pregnancy and menopause. Front Neuroendocrinol 2020; 58:100850. [PMID: 32504632 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2020.100850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2020] [Revised: 03/23/2020] [Accepted: 05/20/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Women are at significantly greater risk of developing Alzheimer's disease and show higher prevalence of autoimmune conditions relative to men. Women's brain health is historically understudied, and little is therefore known about the mechanisms underlying epidemiological sex differences in neurodegenerative diseases, and how female-specific factors may influence women's brain health across the lifespan. In this review, we summarize recent studies on the immunology of pregnancy and menopause, emphasizing that these major immunoendocrine transition phases may play a critical part in women's brain aging trajectories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Barth
- Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
| | - Ann-Marie G de Lange
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, UK.
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28
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Osborne LM, Gilden J, Kamperman AM, Hoogendijk WJ, Spicer J, Drexhage HA, Bergink V. T-cell defects and postpartum depression. Brain Behav Immun 2020; 87:397-403. [PMID: 31926288 PMCID: PMC7316619 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2020.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2019] [Revised: 12/20/2019] [Accepted: 01/07/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Most studies of immune dysregulation in perinatal mood and anxiety disorders have focused on peripheral cytokines, but literature from non-perinatal mood disorders also implicates T-cell defects. We sought to characterize proportions of T-cell subtypes in women with postpartum depression. MATERIALS AND METHODS We enrolled 21 women with postpartum depression (PPD), 39 healthy postpartum controls, and 114 healthy non-postpartum women. Blood was collected in sodium-heparin EDTA tubes and was analyzed using flow cytometry. We conducted statistical tests including linear regression analysis that were aimed at determining differences in proportions of T cell populations among groups. RESULTS Mean counts of T-cells (all CD3+ T cells), T-helper cells, (CD3+CD4+ T cells), and T-cytotoxic cells (CD3+CD8+ T cells) were significantly increased in healthy postpartum women compared to healthy non-postpartum controls (p < 0.001, p = 0.007, and p = 0.002, respectively), but not in women with PPD. The increases in healthy postpartum women were driven by increases in TH1 cells and T regulatory cells, increases that were nonexistent or attenuated in women with postpartum depression. Mean counts of CD4+ T-helper memory cells were also increased in healthy postpartum women (p = 0.009), but slightly decreased in women with PPD (p = 0.066), when compared to healthy non-postpartum controls. CONCLUSIONS Our study confirms that the postpartum period in healthy women is a time of enhanced T cell activity. Women with postpartum depression failed to show physiological enhanced T-cell activity postpartum, and future research is needed to elucidate etiological mechanisms and consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren M. Osborne
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA,Department of Gynecology & Obstetrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA,Corresponding author: Lauren M. Osborne, MD, Women’s Mood Disorders Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 550 N. Broadway, Suite 305, Baltimore, MD 21205, 410-955-9986 (phone),
| | - Janneke Gilden
- Department of Psychiatry, Erasmus Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Astrid M Kamperman
- Department of Psychiatry, Erasmus Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | | | - Julie Spicer
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai
| | - Hemmo A. Drexhage
- Department of Immunology, Erasmus Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Veerle Bergink
- Department of Psychiatry, Erasmus Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands,Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai,Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai
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29
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Lower activation of CD4+ memory T cells in preeclampsia compared to healthy pregnancies persists postpartum. J Reprod Immunol 2019; 136:102613. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jri.2019.102613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2019] [Revised: 08/19/2019] [Accepted: 09/17/2019] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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30
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Guzman-Genuino RM, Dimova T, You Y, Aldo P, Hayball JD, Mor G, Diener KR. Trophoblasts promote induction of a regulatory phenotype in B cells that can protect against detrimental T cell-mediated inflammation. Am J Reprod Immunol 2019; 82:e13187. [PMID: 31487409 DOI: 10.1111/aji.13187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2019] [Revised: 08/25/2019] [Accepted: 08/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
PROBLEM A successful outcome to pregnancy is critically dependent on the initiation of maternal immune tolerance before embryo implantation. Cells of embryonic origin that come in contact with the uterine microenvironment can exert influence over the phenotype and function of immune cells to facilitate robust implantation; however, what influence they may have on B cells remains unknown. In this study, we investigate the effect of human trophoblast cells on B-cell phenotype and the subsequent effect on peri-implantation events. METHOD OF STUDY We cultured purified human B cells with the first-trimester human trophoblast cell line Swan 71 to investigate trophoblast-B-cell interactions and utilized trophoblast spheroids in an in vitro implantation model of migration and invasion. RESULTS Trophoblast-educated B cells or TE-B cells were found to consist of B cells in committed lineages such as plasmablasts and memory B cells, as well as increased proportions in subsets of CD24hi CD27+ regulatory B cells and CD19+ IL-10+ B cells. Conditioned media from the TE-B cells showed reduced production of pro-inflammatory cytokines that influenced the T-cell proliferation and cytokine production. Using trophoblast spheroids, we assessed the role of TE-B cells in trophoblast invasion and migration. Our results demonstrate a protective effect of TE-B-conditioned media against deleterious inflammation as evidenced by survival of the trophoblast spheroid in the presence of an immune assault and promotion of a migratory phenotype. CONCLUSION We posit that trophoblast-mediated education of B cells leads to their acquisition of properties capable of modulating inflammation in the uterine environment during the peri-implantation period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruth Marian Guzman-Genuino
- School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, Australia.,Robinson Research Institute and Adelaide Medical School, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia.,Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Tanya Dimova
- Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.,Institute of Biology and Immunology of Reproduction, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Yuan You
- Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Paulomi Aldo
- Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - John D Hayball
- School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, Australia.,Robinson Research Institute and Adelaide Medical School, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Gil Mor
- Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.,C.S. Mott Center for Human Growth and Development, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Kerrilyn R Diener
- School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, Australia.,Robinson Research Institute and Adelaide Medical School, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
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31
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McIntosh SZ, Maxam CJ, Maestas MM, Quinn KE, Ashley RL. Intrauterine inhibition of chemokine receptor 4 signaling modulates local and systemic inflammation in ovine pregnancy. Am J Reprod Immunol 2019; 82:e13181. [PMID: 31420980 DOI: 10.1111/aji.13181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2019] [Revised: 07/29/2019] [Accepted: 08/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
PROBLEM Chemokines help coordinate inflammation within the fetal-maternal microenvironment during gestation. The chemokine CXCL12 signaling through its receptor CXCR4 regulates inflammatory activity, but this phenomenon is not well understood during pregnancy, and there are no reports exploring the role of this pair in peripheral immune tolerance during gestation. Herein, we hypothesize that intrauterine CXCL12-CXCR4 signaling governs local and systemic immunomodulatory dynamics during early gestation in ewes. METHOD OF STUDY Osmotic pumps were surgically installed for intrauterine infusion of a CXCR4 inhibitor, AMD3100, beginning on day 12 post-breeding in sheep. Endometrial tissues were collected on day 35 of gestation and evaluated for inflammatory potential, Akt pathway activation, and autophagy induction. Demonstrative of peripheral immune activity, levels of select cytokines were assessed in daily blood samples collected throughout the study, as well as in corpus luteum and spleen on day 35. RESULTS Anti-inflammatory IL10 was primarily localized to endometrial glandular epithelium with lower abundance when CXCR4 was antagonized. Inhibition of CXCR4 at the fetal-maternal interface resulted in less activation of Akt in endometrium, while evidence of autophagy induction was greater. Corpora lutea from ewes receiving intrauterine AMD3100 exhibited lower interferon-gamma (IFNG) expression. Blood inflammatory potential was differentially altered in a temporal fashion throughout infusion. IL10 abundance in spleen was greater following CXCR4 inhibition at the fetal-maternal interface, while IFNG was less. CONCLUSION Intrauterine CXCL12-CXCR4 signaling governs endometrial and systemic inflammation; disruption of this axis may have detrimental impacts on offspring and maternal health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stacia Z McIntosh
- Department of Animal and Range Sciences, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, USA
| | - Clara J Maxam
- Department of Animal and Range Sciences, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, USA
| | - Marlie M Maestas
- Department of Animal and Range Sciences, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, USA
| | - Kelsey E Quinn
- Department of Animal and Range Sciences, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, USA
| | - Ryan L Ashley
- Department of Animal and Range Sciences, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, USA
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Solano ME. Decidual immune cells: Guardians of human pregnancies. Best Pract Res Clin Obstet Gynaecol 2019; 60:3-16. [PMID: 31285174 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpobgyn.2019.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2019] [Revised: 05/15/2019] [Accepted: 05/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
During human pregnancy, trophoblast cells, the main cellular component of the placenta, invade deeply into uterine blood vessels and the modified endometrium (decidua). Hence, the maternal immune system must adapt to it. A successful pregnancy requires the tolerance of genetically different (allogenic) cells while the mother's immune competence is maintained. This tolerance is ensured through multiple overlapping and occasionally redundant innate and adaptive immune mechanisms. The present article aims to provide a broad overview on uterine immune cell components and the phenotypical and functional changes that they experience during pregnancy. Particularly, we seek to highlight very recent findings in functional adaptations to pregnancy in immune cell populations encountered in the decidua. These adaptations not only ensure tolerance to allogenic trophoblast cells but also promote optimal placental and fetal growth, simultaneously endeavoring to maintain immune surveillance to provide defense against infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Emilia Solano
- Department of Obstetrics and Prenatal Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246 Hamburg Germany.
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Jørgensen N, Persson G, Hviid TVF. The Tolerogenic Function of Regulatory T Cells in Pregnancy and Cancer. Front Immunol 2019; 10:911. [PMID: 31134056 PMCID: PMC6517506 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.00911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2018] [Accepted: 04/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Regulatory T cells, a subpopulation of suppressive T cells, are potent mediators of self-tolerance and essential for the suppression of triggered immune responses. The immune modulating capacity of these cells play a major role in both transplantation, autoimmune disease, allergy, cancer and pregnancy. During pregnancy, low numbers of regulatory T cells are associated with pregnancy failure and pregnancy complications such as pre-eclampsia. On the other hand, in cancer, low numbers of immunosuppressive T cells are correlated with better prognosis. Hence, maternal immune tolerance toward the fetus during pregnancy and the escape from host immunosurveillance by cancer seem to be based on similar immunological mechanisms being highly dependent on the balance between immune activation and suppression. As regulatory T cells hold a crucial role in several biological processes, they may also be promising subjects for therapeutic use. Especially in the field of cancer, cell therapy and checkpoint inhibitors have demonstrated that immune-based therapies have a very promising potential in treatment of human malignancies. However, these therapies are often accompanied by adverse autoimmune side effects. Therefore, expanding the knowledge to recognize the complexities of immune regulation pathways shared across different immunological scenarios is extremely important in order to improve and develop new strategies for immune-based therapy. The intent of this review is to highlight the functional characteristics of regulatory T cells in the context of mechanisms of immune regulation in pregnancy and cancer, and how manipulation of these mechanisms potentially may improve therapeutic options.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Thomas Vauvert F. Hviid
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Centre for Immune Regulation and Reproductive Immunology (CIRRI), The ReproHealth Consortium ZUH, Zealand University Hospital, and Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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Kieffer TEC, Laskewitz A, Scherjon SA, Faas MM, Prins JR. Memory T Cells in Pregnancy. Front Immunol 2019; 10:625. [PMID: 31001255 PMCID: PMC6455355 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.00625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2019] [Accepted: 03/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Adaptations of the maternal immune response are necessary for pregnancy success. Insufficient immune adaption is associated with pregnancy pathologies such as infertility, recurrent miscarriage, fetal growth restriction, spontaneous preterm birth, and preeclampsia. The maternal immune system is continuously exposed to paternal-fetal antigens; through semen exposure from before pregnancy, through fetal cell exposure in pregnancy, and through microchimerism after pregnancy. This results in the generation of paternal-fetal antigen specific memory T cells. Memory T cells have the ability to remember previously encountered antigens to elicit a quicker, more substantial and focused immune response upon antigen reencounter. Such fetal antigen specific memory T cells could be unfavorable in pregnancy as they could potentially drive fetal rejection. However, knowledge on memory T cells in pregnancy has shown that these cells might play a favorable role in fetal-maternal tolerance rather than rejection of the fetus. In recent years, various aspects of immunologic memory in pregnancy have been elucidated and the relevance and working mechanisms of paternal-fetal antigen specific memory T cells in pregnancy have been evaluated. The data indicate that a delicate balance of memory T cells seems necessary for reproductive success and that immunologic memory in reproduction might not be harmful for pregnancy. This review provides an overview of the different memory T cell subtypes and their function in the physiology and in complications of pregnancy. Current findings in the field and possible therapeutic targets are discussed. The findings of our review raise new research questions for further studies regarding the role of memory T cells in immune-associated pregnancy complications. These studies are needed for the identification of possible targets related to memory mechanisms for studies on preventive therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom E C Kieffer
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Anne Laskewitz
- Division of Medical Biology, Department of Pathology and Medical Biology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Sicco A Scherjon
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Marijke M Faas
- Division of Medical Biology, Department of Pathology and Medical Biology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Jelmer R Prins
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
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Zamorina SA, Timganova VP, Bochkova MS, Khramtsov PV, Fomicheva KA, Rayev MB, Chereshnev VA. α-Fetoprotein Influence on the Conversion of Naïve T-Helpers into Memory T-Cell Effector Subpopulations. DOKLADY BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES : PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE USSR, BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES SECTIONS 2018; 482:210-213. [PMID: 30402762 DOI: 10.1134/s0012496618050113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2018] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The effect of native α-fetoprotein (AFP) on the conversion of naïve T-helpers into central memory T-cells (TCM) and effector subpopulations of the preterminally differentiated (TEM) and terminally differentiated (TEMRA) memory T-cells was studied. AFP was found to prevent the conversion of naïve T-helpers into effector subpopulations of memory T cells (TEM and TEMRA) while reducing the total production of IL-4 and IFN-γ by the studied cell populations. The data reveal a new role of AFP in the immune tolerance formation during pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- S A Zamorina
- Institute of Ecology and Genetics of Microorganisms, Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Perm, Russia.,Perm State National Research University, Perm, Russia
| | - V P Timganova
- Institute of Ecology and Genetics of Microorganisms, Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Perm, Russia.
| | - M S Bochkova
- Institute of Ecology and Genetics of Microorganisms, Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Perm, Russia
| | - P V Khramtsov
- Institute of Ecology and Genetics of Microorganisms, Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Perm, Russia.,Perm State National Research University, Perm, Russia
| | - K A Fomicheva
- Perm State National Research University, Perm, Russia
| | - M B Rayev
- Institute of Ecology and Genetics of Microorganisms, Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Perm, Russia.,Perm State National Research University, Perm, Russia.,Ural Federal University, Yekaterinburg, Russia
| | - V A Chereshnev
- Institute of Ecology and Genetics of Microorganisms, Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Perm, Russia.,Perm State National Research University, Perm, Russia.,Ural Federal University, Yekaterinburg, Russia
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Zamorina SA, Litvinova LS, Yurova KA, Khaziakhmatova OG, Timganova VP, Bochkova MS, Khramtsov PV, Rayev MB. The role of human chorionic gonadotropin in regulation of naïve and memory T cells activity in vitro. Int Immunopharmacol 2017; 54:33-38. [PMID: 29100035 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2017.10.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2017] [Revised: 10/09/2017] [Accepted: 10/24/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The role of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) in the regulation of molecular genetics factors determining the functional activity of human naïve and memory T cells in vitro was studied. It was found that hCG (10 and 100IU/ml) inhibited CD28 and CD25 expression on the naïve T cells (CD45RA+) and CD25 expression on the memory T cells (CD45R0+). hCG didn't affect the CD71 proliferation marker expression in total. Nevertheless, hCG reduced the percentage of proliferating memory T cells with simultaneous suppression of CD71 expression on proliferating CD45R0+cells. In parallel, expression of U2af1l4, Gfi1, and hnRNPLL genes, which are Ptprc gene alternative splicing regulators was evaluated. It was established that hCG stimulated the expression of U2af1l4 and hnRNPLL genes, responsible for the assembly of CD45R0 in memory T cells, but reduced the expression of Gfi1 in these cells. In general, hCG promotes the differentiation of memory T cells by increasing of CD45R0 expression, but inhibits proliferation and CD25 expression which reflects their functional activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- S A Zamorina
- Institute of Ecology and Genetics of Microorganisms UB RAS, Perm, Russian Federation.
| | - L S Litvinova
- Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University, Kaliningrad, Russian Federation
| | - K A Yurova
- Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University, Kaliningrad, Russian Federation
| | - O G Khaziakhmatova
- Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University, Kaliningrad, Russian Federation
| | - V P Timganova
- Institute of Ecology and Genetics of Microorganisms UB RAS, Perm, Russian Federation
| | - M S Bochkova
- Institute of Ecology and Genetics of Microorganisms UB RAS, Perm, Russian Federation
| | - P V Khramtsov
- Institute of Ecology and Genetics of Microorganisms UB RAS, Perm, Russian Federation
| | - M B Rayev
- Institute of Ecology and Genetics of Microorganisms UB RAS, Perm, Russian Federation; Ural Federal University Named After the First President of Russia, B.N. Yeltsin, Yekaterinburg, Russia
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History of child maltreatment and telomere length in immune cell subsets: Associations with stress- and attachment-related hormones. Dev Psychopathol 2017; 30:539-551. [PMID: 28803568 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579417001055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Experiencing maltreatment during childhood can have long-lasting consequences for both mental and physical health. Immune cell telomere length (TL) shortening might be one link between child maltreatment (CM) experiences and adverse health outcomes later in life. While the stress hormone cortisol has been associated with TL attrition, the attachment-related hormone oxytocin may promote resilience. In 15 mothers with and 15 age- and body mass index-matched mothers without CM, we assessed TL in peripheral blood mononuclear cells and selected immune cell subsets (monocytes, naive, and memory cytotoxic T cells) by quantitative fluorescence in situ hybridization, as well as peripheral cortisol and oxytocin levels. Memory cytotoxic T cells showed significantly shorter TL in association with CM, whereas TL in monocytes and naive cytotoxic T cells did not significantly differ between the two groups. Across both groups, cortisol was negatively associated with TL, while oxytocin was positively associated with TL in memory cytotoxic T cells. These results indicate that long-lived memory cytotoxic T cells are most affected by the increased biological stress state associated with CM. Keeping in mind the correlational and preliminary nature of the results, the data suggest that cortisol may have a damaging and oxytocin a protective function on TL.
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Laganà AS, Giordano D, Loddo S, Zoccali G, Vitale SG, Santamaria A, Buemi M, D'Anna R. Decreased Endothelial Progenitor Cells (EPCs) and increased Natural Killer (NK) cells in peripheral blood as possible early markers of preeclampsia: a case-control analysis. Arch Gynecol Obstet 2017; 295:867-872. [PMID: 28243732 DOI: 10.1007/s00404-017-4296-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2016] [Accepted: 01/10/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Endothelial Progenitor Cells (EPCs) and Natural Killer (NK) cells were recently advocates in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia (PE), since they can be mobilized into the bloodstream and may orchestrate vascular endothelium function. The aim of our study was to evaluate in early pregnancy circulating EPCs and NK cells in peripheral blood in women who later developed PE compared to uncomplicated pregnancies. METHODS We prospectively enrolled pregnant women at 9+0-11+6 weeks of gestation at the time of first-trimester integrated screening for trisomy 21, who underwent peripheral venous blood (20 mL) sample. We included only women who later developed PE (cases) and women with uncomplicated pregnancy (controls), matched for maternal age, parity, and Body Mass Index. In these groups, we evaluated the levels of CD16+CD45+CD56+ NK cells and CD34+CD133+VEGF-R2+ EPCs in peripheral blood samples previously stored. RESULTS EPCs were significantly lower (p < 0.001), whereas NK cells were significantly higher (p < 0.001) in PE group compared to uncomplicated pregnancies during the first trimester. CONCLUSION The evaluation of EPCs and NK cells in peripheral blood during the first trimester may be considered an effective screening for the early identification of women at risk of developing PE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Simone Laganà
- Unit of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Department of Human Pathology in Adulthood and Childhood "G. Barresi", University of Messina, Messina, Italy.
| | - Domenico Giordano
- Unit of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Department of Human Pathology in Adulthood and Childhood "G. Barresi", University of Messina, Messina, Italy
| | - Saverio Loddo
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Zoccali
- Unit of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Department of Human Pathology in Adulthood and Childhood "G. Barresi", University of Messina, Messina, Italy
| | - Salvatore Giovanni Vitale
- Unit of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Department of Human Pathology in Adulthood and Childhood "G. Barresi", University of Messina, Messina, Italy
| | - Angelo Santamaria
- Unit of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Department of Human Pathology in Adulthood and Childhood "G. Barresi", University of Messina, Messina, Italy
| | - Michele Buemi
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
| | - Rosario D'Anna
- Unit of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Department of Human Pathology in Adulthood and Childhood "G. Barresi", University of Messina, Messina, Italy
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