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Lintao RCV, Kammala AK, Radnaa E, Bettayeb M, Vincent KL, Patrikeev I, Yaklic J, Bonney EA, Menon R. Characterization of fetal microchimeric immune cells in mouse maternal hearts during physiologic and pathologic pregnancies. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 11:1256945. [PMID: 37808080 PMCID: PMC10556483 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1256945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: During pregnancy, fetal cells can be incorporated into maternal tissues (fetal microchimerism), where they can persist postpartum. Whether these fetal cells are beneficial or detrimental to maternal health is unknown. This study aimed to characterize fetal microchimeric immune cells in the maternal heart during pregnancy and postpartum, and to identify differences in these fetal microchimeric subpopulations between normal and pregnancies complicated by spontaneous preterm induced by ascending infection. Methods: A Cre reporter mouse model, which when mated with wild-type C57BL/6J females resulted in cells and tissues of progeny expressing red fluorescent protein tandem dimer Tomato (mT+), was used to detect fetal microchimeric cells. On embryonic day (E)15, 104 colony-forming units (CFU) E. coli was administered intravaginally to mimic ascending infection, with delivery on or before E18.5 considered as preterm delivery. A subset of pregnant mice was sacrificed at E16 and postpartum day 28 to harvest maternal hearts. Heart tissues were processed for immunofluorescence microscopy and high-dimensional mass cytometry by time-of-flight (CyTOF) using an antibody panel of immune cell markers. Changes in cardiac physiologic parameters were measured up to 60 days postpartum via two-dimensional echocardiography. Results: Intravaginal E. coli administration resulted in preterm delivery of live pups in 70% of the cases. mT + expressing cells were detected in maternal uterus and heart, implying that fetal cells can migrate to different maternal compartments. During ascending infection, more fetal antigen-presenting cells (APCs) and less fetal hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and fetal double-positive (DP) thymocytes were observed in maternal hearts at E16 compared to normal pregnancy. These HSCs were cleared while DP thymocytes persisted 28 days postpartum following an ascending infection. No significant changes in cardiac physiologic parameters were observed postpartum except a trend in lowering the ejection fraction rate in preterm delivered mothers. Conclusion: Both normal pregnancy and ascending infection revealed distinct compositions of fetal microchimeric immune cells within the maternal heart, which could potentially influence the maternal cardiac microenvironment via (1) modulation of cardiac reverse modeling processes by fetal stem cells, and (2) differential responses to recognition of fetal APCs by maternal T cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan C. V. Lintao
- Division of Basic Science and Translational Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, TX, United States
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Medicine, University of the Philippines Manila, Manila, Philippines
| | - Ananth Kumar Kammala
- Division of Basic Science and Translational Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, TX, United States
| | - Enkhtuya Radnaa
- Division of Basic Science and Translational Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, TX, United States
| | - Mohamed Bettayeb
- Division of Basic Science and Translational Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, TX, United States
| | - Kathleen L. Vincent
- Division of Basic Science and Translational Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, TX, United States
- Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences Group, The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, TX, United States
| | - Igor Patrikeev
- Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences Group, The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, TX, United States
| | - Jerome Yaklic
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, TX, United States
| | - Elizabeth A. Bonney
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Larner College of Medicine, The University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, United States
| | - Ramkumar Menon
- Division of Basic Science and Translational Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Galveston, TX, United States
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Bonney EA, Johnson MR. The role of maternal T cell and macrophage activation in preterm birth: Cause or consequence? Placenta 2019; 79:53-61. [PMID: 30929747 DOI: 10.1016/j.placenta.2019.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2019] [Accepted: 03/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The role of the immune system in term (TL) and preterm labor (PTL) is unknown. Despite the fact that globally, PTL remains the most important cause of childhood mortality. Infection, typically of the fetal membranes, termed chorioamnionitis, is the best-understood driver of PTL, but the mechanisms underpinning other causes, including idiopathic and stretch-induced PTL, are unclear, but may well involve activation of the maternal immune system. The final common pathway of placental dysfunction, fetal membrane rupture, cervical dilation and uterine contractions are highly complex processes. At term, choriodecidual rather than myometrial inflammation is thought to drive the onset of labor and similar findings are present in different types of PTL including idiopathic PTL. Although accumulated data has confirmed an association between the immune response and preterm birth, there is yet a need to understand if this response is an initiator or a consequence of tissue-level dysregulation. This review focuses on the potential role of macrophages and T cells in innate and adaptive immunity relevant to preterm birth in humans and animal models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth A Bonney
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences University of Vermont, Larner College of Medicine, Burlington, VT, USA.
| | - Mark R Johnson
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Surgery & Cancer, Imperial College, London, United Kingdom
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Lannaman K, Romero R, Chaiworapongsa T, Kim YM, Korzeniewski SJ, Maymon E, Gomez-Lopez N, Panaitescu B, Hassan SS, Yeo L, Yoon BH, Kim CJ, Erez O. Fetal death: an extreme manifestation of maternal anti-fetal rejection. J Perinat Med 2017; 45:851-868. [PMID: 28862989 PMCID: PMC5848503 DOI: 10.1515/jpm-2017-0073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2017] [Accepted: 03/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to determine the association between chronic placental inflammation and amniotic fluid (AF) markers of maternal anti-fetal rejection as well as the presence of microorganisms in the AF fluid of patients with fetal death. STUDY DESIGN This cohort study included 40 patients with fetal death whose placentas were examined for chronic inflammatory lesions and whose AF chemokine ligand (CXCL)10 and interleukin (IL)-6 concentrations were determined by immunoassays. AF was processed for bacteria, mycoplasmas and viruses using cultivation and molecular microbiologic techniques (i.e. PCR-ESI/MS). RESULTS (1) The most prevalent placental findings were maternal vascular underperfusion (63.2%, 24/38), followed by chronic inflammatory lesions (57.9%, 22/38); (2) chronic chorioamnionitis (18/38) was three times more frequent than villitis of unknown etiology (6/38); (3) an elevated AF CXCL10 concentration (above the 95th centile) was present in 60% of the cases, and a receiver operating characteristics (ROC)-derived cut-off of 2.9 ng/mL had a sensitivity of 73% and a specificity of 75% in the identification of chronic placental inflammatory lesions; (4) only five cases had microbial invasion of the amniotic cavity, and the presence of microorganisms did not correlate with chronic placental inflammation. CONCLUSION In women with unexplained fetal death, there is an association between elevated AF CXCL10 and chronic placental inflammatory lesions. Therefore, we conclude that a subset of patients with fetal death may have endured a breakdown of maternal-fetal tolerance, which cannot be attributed to microorganisms in the amniotic cavity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kia Lannaman
- Perinatology Research Branch, Program for Perinatal Research and Obstetrics, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD and Detroit, MI, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Roberto Romero
- Perinatology Research Branch, Program for Perinatal Research and Obstetrics, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD and Detroit, MI, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
- Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Tinnakorn Chaiworapongsa
- Perinatology Research Branch, Program for Perinatal Research and Obstetrics, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD and Detroit, MI, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Yeon Mee Kim
- Perinatology Research Branch, Program for Perinatal Research and Obstetrics, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD and Detroit, MI, USA
- Department of Pathology, Haeundae Paik Hospital, Inje University College of Medicine, Busan, Republic of Korea
| | - Steven J. Korzeniewski
- Perinatology Research Branch, Program for Perinatal Research and Obstetrics, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD and Detroit, MI, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Eli Maymon
- Perinatology Research Branch, Program for Perinatal Research and Obstetrics, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD and Detroit, MI, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Nardhy Gomez-Lopez
- Perinatology Research Branch, Program for Perinatal Research and Obstetrics, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD and Detroit, MI, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Bogdan Panaitescu
- Perinatology Research Branch, Program for Perinatal Research and Obstetrics, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD and Detroit, MI, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Sonia S. Hassan
- Perinatology Research Branch, Program for Perinatal Research and Obstetrics, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD and Detroit, MI, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Lami Yeo
- Perinatology Research Branch, Program for Perinatal Research and Obstetrics, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD and Detroit, MI, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Bo Hyun Yoon
- Perinatology Research Branch, Program for Perinatal Research and Obstetrics, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD and Detroit, MI, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Chong Jai Kim
- Department of Pathology, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Offer Erez
- Perinatology Research Branch, Program for Perinatal Research and Obstetrics, Division of Intramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD and Detroit, MI, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
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Abstract
Recent advances in our understanding of dendritic cells (DCs) and their role in tolerance and immunity has fuelled study of their normal development and function within the reproductive tract. The common hypothesis that pregnancy is a state of immune suppression or deviation now includes the idea that alterations in DC phenotype and function are critical for maternal tolerance. We chose to study DCs in the uterus and lymphoid tissue in non-pregnant and pregnant mice at mid-gestation to understand what DC-related factors may be involved in premature birth. We used a mouse model where the mother's immune system has been shown to respond to the male antigen H-Y. Observed differences among DCs in the uterus, uterine draining nodes and spleen, even in non-pregnant mice, suggest the existence of a specialized uterus-specific subset of DCs. We further found that, amongst CD45(+) CD11c(+) cells in the uterus and peripheral lymphoid tissue of pregnant mice, expression of major histocompatibility complex class II (MHC II) and costimulatory molecules (i.e. CD80) was similar to that in the non-pregnant state. Moreover, there was no pregnancy-related decrease in the proportion of CD11c(+) cells in the uterus or in the uterine node that were CD11b(-) CD8(+). Pregnancy increased the CD11b(+) subsets and the expression of chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 6 (CCL6) in DCs of the uterine draining nodes. Finally, DC subsets showed variable expression, with respect to tissue and pregnancy, of the cytokine interleukin-15, which is important in lymphoid cell homeostasis. For DCs, pregnancy is not a state of immune paralysis, but of dynamic developmental change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peyman Bizargity
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of Vermont College of Medicine, Burlington, VT, USA
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