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Li QH, Zhao QY, Yang WJ, Jiang AF, Ren CE, Meng YH. Beyond Immune Balance: The Pivotal Role of Decidual Regulatory T Cells in Unexplained Recurrent Spontaneous Abortion. J Inflamm Res 2024; 17:2697-2710. [PMID: 38707955 PMCID: PMC11070170 DOI: 10.2147/jir.s459263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 05/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA) is defined as two or more consecutive pregnancy failures, which brings tremendous stress to women of childbearing age and seriously affects family well-being. However, the reason in about 50% of cases remains unknown and is defined as unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortion (URSA). The immunological perspective in URSA has attracted widespread attention in recent years. The embryo is regarded as a semi-allogeneic graft to the mother. A successful pregnancy requires transition to an immune environment conducive to embryo survival at the maternal-fetal interface. As an important member of regulatory immunity, regulatory T (Treg) cells play a key role in regulating immune tolerance at the maternal-fetal interface. This review will focus on the phenotypic plasticity and lineage stability of Treg cells to illustrate its relationship with URSA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qing-Hui Li
- School of Clinical Medicine, Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, Shandong, 261021, People’s Republic of China
- Center of Reproductive Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, Shandong, 261000, People’s Republic of China
| | - Qiu-Yan Zhao
- School of Clinical Medicine, Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, Shandong, 261021, People’s Republic of China
| | - Wei-Jing Yang
- School of Clinical Medicine, Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, Shandong, 261021, People’s Republic of China
| | - Ai-Fang Jiang
- Center of Reproductive Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, Shandong, 261000, People’s Republic of China
| | - Chun-E Ren
- Center of Reproductive Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, Shandong, 261000, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yu-Han Meng
- Center of Reproductive Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, Shandong, 261000, People’s Republic of China
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2
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Kandasamy K, Johana NB, Tan LG, Tan Y, Yeo JSL, Yusof NNB, Li Z, Koh J, Ginhoux F, Chan JKY, Choolani M, Mattar CNZ. Maternal dendritic cells influence fetal allograft response following murine in-utero hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Stem Cell Res Ther 2023; 14:136. [PMID: 37226255 DOI: 10.1186/s13287-023-03366-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/26/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Intrauterine hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (IUT), potentially curative in congenital haematological disease, is often inhibited by deleterious immune responses to donor cells resulting in subtherapeutic donor cell chimerism (DCC). Microchimerism of maternal immune cells (MMc) trafficked into transplanted recipients across the placenta may directly influence donor-specific alloresponsiveness, limiting DCC. We hypothesized that dendritic cells (DC) among trafficked MMc influence the development of tolerogenic or immunogenic responses towards donor cells, and investigated if maternal DC-depletion reduced recipient alloresponsiveness and enhanced DCC. METHODS Using transgenic CD11c.DTR (C57BL/6) female mice enabled transient maternal DC-depletion with a single dose of diphtheria toxin (DT). CD11c.DTR females and BALB/c males were cross-mated, producing hybrid pups. IUT was performed at E14 following maternal DT administration 24 h prior. Bone marrow-derived mononuclear cells were transplanted, obtained from semi-allogenic BALB/c (paternal-derived; pIUT), C57BL/6 (maternal-derived; mIUT), or fully allogenic (aIUT) C3H donor mice. Recipient F1 pups were analyzed for DCC, while maternal and IUT-recipient immune cell profile and reactivity were examined via mixed lymphocyte reactivity functional assays. T- and B-cell receptor repertoire diversity in maternal and recipient cells were examined following donor cell exposure. RESULTS DCC was highest and MMc was lowest following pIUT. In contrast, aIUT recipients had the lowest DCC and the highest MMc. In groups that were not DC-depleted, maternal cells trafficked post-IUT displayed reduced TCR & BCR clonotype diversity, while clonotype diversity was restored when dams were DC-depleted. Additionally, recipients displayed increased expression of regulatory T-cells and immune-inhibitory proteins, with reduced proinflammatory cytokine and donor-specific antibody production. DC-depletion did not impact initial donor chimerism. Postnatal transplantation without immunosuppression of paternal donor cells did not increase DCC in pIUT recipients; however there were no donor-specific antibody production or immune cell changes. CONCLUSIONS Though maternal DC depletion did not improve DCC, we show for the first time that MMc influences donor-specific alloresponsiveness, possibly by expanding alloreactive clonotypes, and depleting maternal DC promotes and maintains acquired tolerance to donor cells independent of DCC, presenting a novel approach to enhancing donor cell tolerance following IUT. This may have value when planning repeat HSC transplantations to treat haemoglobinopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karthikeyan Kandasamy
- Experimental Fetal Medicine Group, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 1E Kent Ridge Road, Singapore, 119228, Singapore
| | | | - Lay Geok Tan
- Experimental Fetal Medicine Group, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 1E Kent Ridge Road, Singapore, 119228, Singapore
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, National University Health System, National University Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Yvonne Tan
- Reproductive Medicine, KK Women's and Children's Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Julie Su Li Yeo
- Reproductive Medicine, KK Women's and Children's Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Nur Nazneen Binte Yusof
- Experimental Fetal Medicine Group, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 1E Kent Ridge Road, Singapore, 119228, Singapore
| | - Zhihui Li
- Genome Research Informatics and Data Science Platform, Genome Institute of Singapore, Agency for Science Technology and Research, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Jiayu Koh
- Genome Research Informatics and Data Science Platform, Genome Institute of Singapore, Agency for Science Technology and Research, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Florent Ginhoux
- Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore
- Translational Immunology Institute, Singhealth/Duke-NUS Academic Medical Centre, The Academia, Singapore, Singapore
- Shanghai Institute of Immunology, Shanghai JiaoTong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Jerry K Y Chan
- Experimental Fetal Medicine Group, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 1E Kent Ridge Road, Singapore, 119228, Singapore
- Reproductive Medicine, KK Women's and Children's Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
- Cancer and Stem Cell Biology Program, Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Mahesh Choolani
- Experimental Fetal Medicine Group, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 1E Kent Ridge Road, Singapore, 119228, Singapore
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, National University Health System, National University Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Citra N Z Mattar
- Experimental Fetal Medicine Group, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 1E Kent Ridge Road, Singapore, 119228, Singapore.
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, National University Health System, National University Hospital, Singapore, Singapore.
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3
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Lewis EL, Xu R, Beltra JC, Ngiow SF, Cohen J, Telange R, Crane A, Sawinski D, Wherry EJ, Porrett PM. NFAT-dependent and -independent exhaustion circuits program maternal CD8 T cell hypofunction in pregnancy. J Exp Med 2022; 219:e20201599. [PMID: 34882194 PMCID: PMC8666877 DOI: 10.1084/jem.20201599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2020] [Revised: 10/09/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Pregnancy is a common immunization event, but the molecular mechanisms and immunological consequences provoked by pregnancy remain largely unknown. We used mouse models and human transplant registry data to reveal that pregnancy induced exhausted CD8 T cells (Preg-TEX), which associated with prolonged allograft survival. Maternal CD8 T cells shared features of exhaustion with CD8 T cells from cancer and chronic infection, including transcriptional down-regulation of ribosomal proteins and up-regulation of TOX and inhibitory receptors. Similar to other models of T cell exhaustion, NFAT-dependent elements of the exhaustion program were induced by fetal antigen in pregnancy, whereas NFAT-independent elements did not require fetal antigen. Despite using conserved molecular circuitry, Preg-TEX cells differed from TEX cells in chronic viral infection with respect to magnitude and dependency of T cell hypofunction on NFAT-independent signals. Altogether, these data reveal the molecular mechanisms and clinical consequences of maternal CD8 T cell hypofunction and identify pregnancy as a previously unappreciated context in which T cell exhaustion may occur.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma L. Lewis
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Rong Xu
- Department of Surgery, The University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Jean-Christophe Beltra
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, The University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
- Institute for Immunology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
- Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Shin Foong Ngiow
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, The University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
- Institute for Immunology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
- Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Jordana Cohen
- Department of Medicine, The University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Rahul Telange
- Department of Surgery, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
| | - Alexander Crane
- Department of Surgery, The University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Deirdre Sawinski
- Department of Medicine, The University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - E. John Wherry
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, The University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
- Institute for Immunology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
- Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Paige M. Porrett
- Department of Surgery, The University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
- Institute for Immunology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
- Department of Surgery, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
- Comprehensive Transplant Institute, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
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4
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Hardardottir L, Bazzano MV, Glau L, Gattinoni L, Köninger A, Tolosa E, Solano ME. The New Old CD8+ T Cells in the Immune Paradox of Pregnancy. Front Immunol 2021; 12:765730. [PMID: 34868016 PMCID: PMC8635142 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.765730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2021] [Accepted: 10/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
CD8+ T cells are the most frequent T cell population in the immune cell compartment at the feto-maternal interface. Due to their cytotoxic potential, the presence of CD8+ T cells in the immune privileged pregnant uterus has raised considerable interest. Here, we review our current understanding of CD8+ T cell biology in the uterus of pregnant women and discuss this knowledge in relation to a recently published immune cell Atlas of human decidua. We describe how the expansion of CD8+ T cells with an effector memory phenotype often presenting markers of exhaustion is critical for a successful pregnancy, and host defense towards pathogens. Moreover, we review new evidence on the presence of long-lasting immunological memory to former pregnancies and discuss its impact on prospective pregnancy outcomes. The formation of fetal-specific memory CD8+ T cell subests in the uterus, in particular of tissue resident, and stem cell memory cells requires further investigation, but promises interesting results to come. Advancing the knowledge of CD8+ T cell biology in the pregnant uterus will be pivotal for understanding not only tissue-specific immune tolerance but also the etiology of complications during pregnancy, thus enabling preventive or therapeutic interventions in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lilja Hardardottir
- Laboratory for Translational Perinatology- Focus: Immunology, University Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Maria Victoria Bazzano
- Laboratory for Translational Perinatology- Focus: Immunology, University Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Laura Glau
- Department of Immunology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Luca Gattinoni
- Department of Functional Immune Cell Modulation, Regensburg Center for Interventional Immunology, Regensburg, Germany
- University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Angela Köninger
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of the University of Regensburg at the St. Hedwig Hospital of the Order of St. John, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Eva Tolosa
- Department of Immunology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Maria Emilia Solano
- Laboratory for Translational Perinatology- Focus: Immunology, University Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
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5
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Ahn SH, Nguyen SL, Petroff MG. Exploring the Origin and Antigenic Specificity of Maternal Regulatory T Cells in Pregnancy. Front Immunol 2020; 11:1302. [PMID: 32670288 PMCID: PMC7330120 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.01302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2020] [Accepted: 05/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Successful pregnancy outcome is partially determined by the suppression of reactive effector T cells by maternal regulatory T cells (TRegs) at the maternal-fetal interface. While a large area of research has focused on the regulation of peripherally-induced TReg (pTReg) distribution and differentiation using transgenic mouse models and human samples, studies focusing on the role of TRegs derived from the thymus (tTRegs), and the potential role of central tolerance in maternal-fetal tolerance is less explored. The genome of the fetus is composed of both the tissue-specific and paternally-inherited antigens, and a break in maternal immune tolerance to either antigen may result in adverse pregnancy outcomes. Notably, "self"-antigens, including antigens that are highly restricted to the fetus and placenta, are promiscuously expressed by medullary thymic epithelial cells under the control of Autoimmune Regulator (Aire), which skews the tTReg T cell receptor (TCR) repertoire to be specific toward these antigens. TRegs that circulate in mothers during pregnancy may be comprised of TRegs that stem from the thymus as well as those induced in the periphery. Moreover, despite a wealth of research dedicated to elucidating the function of TRegs in maternal-fetal tolerance, little is understood about the origin of these cells, and whether/how tTRegs may contribute. Investigation into this question is complicated by the absence of reliable markers to distinguish between the two. In this review, we discuss how distinct types of fetal/placental antigens may determine the generation of different subtypes of TReg cells in the mother, and in turn how these may promote maternal tolerance to the fetus in pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soo Hyun Ahn
- Department of Pathobiology Diagnostic Investigation, College of Veterinary Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States
| | - Sean L Nguyen
- Institute for Integrative Toxicology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States.,Cell and Molecular Biology Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States
| | - Margaret G Petroff
- Department of Pathobiology Diagnostic Investigation, College of Veterinary Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States.,Cell and Molecular Biology Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States.,Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States
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6
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Solano ME, Arck PC. Steroids, Pregnancy and Fetal Development. Front Immunol 2020; 10:3017. [PMID: 32038609 PMCID: PMC6987319 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.03017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2019] [Accepted: 12/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Maternal glucocorticoids critically rise during pregnancy reaching up to a 20-fold increase of mid-pregnancy concentrations. Concurrently, another steroid hormone, progesterone, increases. Progesterone, which shows structural similarities to glucocorticoids, can bind the intracellular glucocorticoid receptor, although with lower affinity. Progesterone is essential for the establishment and continuation of pregnancy and it is generally acknowledged to promote maternal immune tolerance to fetal alloantigens through a wealth of immunomodulatory mechanisms. Despite the potent immunomodulatory capacity of glucocorticoids, little is known about their role during pregnancy. Here we aim to compare general aspects of glucocorticoids and progesterone during pregnancy, including shared common steroidogenic pathways, plasma transporters, regulatory pathways, expression of receptors, and mechanisms of action in immune cells. It was recently acknowledged that progesterone receptors are not ubiquitously expressed on immune cells and that pivotal features of progesterone induced- maternal immune adaptations to pregnancy are mediated via the glucocorticoid receptor, including e.g., T regulatory cells expansion. We hypothesize that a tight equilibrium between progesterone and glucocorticoids is critically required and recapitulate evidence supporting that their disequilibrium underlie pregnancy complications. Such a disequilibrium can occur, e.g., after maternal stress perception, which triggers the release of glucocorticoids and impair progesterone secretion, resulting in intrauterine inflammation. These endocrine misbalance might be interconnected, as increase in glucocorticoid synthesis, e.g., upon stress, may occur in detriment of progesterone steroidogenesis, by depleting the common precursor pregnenolone. Abundant literature supports that progesterone deficiency underlies pregnancy complications in which immune tolerance is challenged. In these settings, it is largely yet undefined if and how glucocorticoids are affected. However, although progesterone immunomodulation during pregnancy appear to be chiefly mediated glucocorticoid receptors, excess glucocorticoids cannot compensate by progesterone deficiency, indicating that additional und still undercover mechanisms are at play.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Emilia Solano
- Department for Obstetrics and Fetal Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Petra Clara Arck
- Department for Obstetrics and Fetal Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
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7
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Moldenhauer LM, Schjenken JE, Hope CM, Green ES, Zhang B, Eldi P, Hayball JD, Barry SC, Robertson SA. Thymus-Derived Regulatory T Cells Exhibit Foxp3 Epigenetic Modification and Phenotype Attenuation after Mating in Mice. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2019; 203:647-657. [DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1900084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2019] [Accepted: 05/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
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8
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Animal and Human Tissue Models of Vertical Listeria monocytogenes Transmission and Implications for Other Pregnancy-Associated Infections. Infect Immun 2018; 86:IAI.00801-17. [PMID: 29483290 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00801-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Intrauterine infections lead to serious complications for mother and fetus, including preterm birth, maternal and fetal death, and neurological sequelae in the surviving offspring. Improving maternal and child heath is a global priority. Yet, the development of strategies to prevent and treat pregnancy-related diseases has lagged behind progress made in other medical fields. One of the challenges is finding tractable model systems that replicate the human maternal-fetal interface. Animal models offer the ability to study pathogenesis and host defenses in vivo However, the anatomy of the maternal-fetal interface is highly divergent across species. While many tools are available to study host responses in the pregnant mouse model, other animals have placentas that are more similar to that of humans. Here we describe new developments in animal and human tissue models to investigate the pathogenesis of listeriosis at the maternal-fetal interface. We highlight gaps in existing knowledge and make recommendations on how they can be filled.
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9
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Jasti S, Farahbakhsh M, Nguyen S, Petroff BK, Petroff MG. Immune response to a model shared placenta/tumor-associated antigen reduces cancer risk in parous mice. Biol Reprod 2017; 96:134-144. [PMID: 28395331 DOI: 10.1095/biolreprod.116.144907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2016] [Accepted: 11/15/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
During human pregnancy, paternally inherited antigens expressed by the fetal-placental unit can elicit expansion of antigen-specific CD8+ T cells. These cells can persist for years as memory T cells, but their effects on long-term maternal health are unknown. Shared placenta/tumor-associated antigens are expressed by placenta and tumors, but are minimally expressed or absent in normal adult tissues. We hypothesized that maternal T cells elicited against these antigens can alter risk of cancers expressing the same antigen after pregnancy, and tested this in mice using chicken ovalbumin (OVA) as a surrogate shared placenta/tumor antigen. Hemizygous OVA transgenic males were bred to wild-type C57BL/6 females (H2b haplotype) such that the fetuses inherited and expressed OVA. Maternal OVA/H2Kb-specific CD8+ T cells became detectable during gestation, and persisted in some animals for up to 24 weeks. To determine whether these cells might influence growth of OVA-expressing tumors in OVA-bred females, E.G7-OVA thymoma cells were inoculated subcutaneously in OVA-bred, wild-type bred, and virgin females, and monitored for growth. OVA-bred mice had prolonged survival as compared to virgin mice and the progression of tumors was delayed in comparison to wild-type bred and virgin females. Thus, paternally inherited OVA antigen elicited a CD8+ T cell response during pregnancy that was associated with delayed growth of OVA-expressing tumors following pregnancy. These data suggest a possible role of antigen-specific T cells in protecting parous females against tumors bearing shared placenta/tumor antigens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susmita Jasti
- Departments of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas, USA
| | - Mina Farahbakhsh
- Departments of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas, USA
| | - Sean Nguyen
- Cell and Molecular Biology Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - Brian K Petroff
- Department of Pathobiology and Diagnostic Investigation, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - Margaret G Petroff
- Departments of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas, USA.,Department of Pathobiology and Diagnostic Investigation, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA.,Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
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10
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Linscheid C, Heitmann E, Singh P, Wickstrom E, Qiu L, Hodes H, Nauser T, Petroff MG. Trophoblast expression of the minor histocompatibility antigen HA-1 is regulated by oxygen and is increased in placentas from preeclamptic women. Placenta 2015; 36:832-8. [PMID: 26095815 DOI: 10.1016/j.placenta.2015.05.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2014] [Revised: 05/25/2015] [Accepted: 05/28/2015] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Maternal T-cells reactive towards paternally inherited fetal minor histocompatibility antigens are expanded during pregnancy. Placental trophoblast cells express at least four fetal antigens, including human minor histocompatibility antigen 1 (HA-1). We investigated oxygen as a potential regulator of HA-1 and whether HA-1 expression is altered in preeclamptic placentas. METHODS Expression and regulation of HA-1 mRNA and protein were examined by qRT-PCR and immunohistochemistry, using first, second, and third trimester placentas, first trimester placental explant cultures, and term purified cytotrophoblast cells. Low oxygen conditions were achieved by varying ambient oxygen, and were mimicked using cobalt chloride. HA-1 mRNA and protein expression levels were evaluated in preeclamptic and control placentas. RESULTS HA-1 protein expression was higher in the syncytiotrophoblast of first trimester as compared to second trimester and term placentas (P<0.01). HA-1 mRNA was increased in cobalt chloride-treated placental explants and purified cytotrophoblast cells (P = 0.04 and P<0.01, respectively) and in purified cytotrophoblast cells cultured under 2% as compared to 8% and 21% oxygen (P<0.01). HA-1 mRNA expression in preeclamptic vs. control placentas was increased 3.3-fold (P = 0.015). HA-1 protein expression was increased in syncytial nuclear aggregates and the syncytiotrophoblast of preeclamptic vs. control placentas (P = 0.02 and 0.03, respectively). DISCUSSION Placental HA-1 expression is regulated by oxygen and is increased in the syncytial nuclear aggregates and syncytiotrophoblast of preeclamptic as compared to control placentas. Increased HA-1 expression, combined with increased preeclamptic syncytiotrophoblast deportation, provides a novel potential mechanism for exposure of the maternal immune system to increased fetal antigenic load during preeclampsia.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Linscheid
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, USA
| | - E Heitmann
- Saint Luke's Health System, Department of Maternal and Fetal Medicine, Kansas City, MO, USA
| | - P Singh
- Saint Luke's Health System, Department of Maternal and Fetal Medicine, Kansas City, MO, USA
| | - E Wickstrom
- Saint Luke's Health System, Department of Maternal and Fetal Medicine, Kansas City, MO, USA
| | - L Qiu
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, USA
| | - H Hodes
- The Center for Women's Health, Overland Park, KS, USA
| | - T Nauser
- The Center for Women's Health, Overland Park, KS, USA
| | - M G Petroff
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, USA
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11
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Solano ME, Kowal MK, O'Rourke GE, Horst AK, Modest K, Plösch T, Barikbin R, Remus CC, Berger RG, Jago C, Ho H, Sass G, Parker VJ, Lydon JP, DeMayo FJ, Hecher K, Karimi K, Arck PC. Progesterone and HMOX-1 promote fetal growth by CD8+ T cell modulation. J Clin Invest 2015; 125:1726-38. [PMID: 25774501 DOI: 10.1172/jci68140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2014] [Accepted: 01/29/2015] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) affects up to 10% of pregnancies in Western societies. IUGR is a strong predictor of reduced short-term neonatal survival and impairs long-term health in children. Placental insufficiency is often associated with IUGR; however, the molecular mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of placental insufficiency and IUGR are largely unknown. Here, we developed a mouse model of fetal-growth restriction and placental insufficiency that is induced by a midgestational stress challenge. Compared with control animals, pregnant dams subjected to gestational stress exhibited reduced progesterone levels and placental heme oxygenase 1 (Hmox1) expression and increased methylation at distinct regions of the placental Hmox1 promoter. These stress-triggered changes were accompanied by an altered CD8+ T cell response, as evidenced by a reduction of tolerogenic CD8+CD122+ T cells and an increase of cytotoxic CD8+ T cells. Using progesterone receptor- or Hmox1-deficient mice, we identified progesterone as an upstream modulator of placental Hmox1 expression. Supplementation of progesterone or depletion of CD8+ T cells revealed that progesterone suppresses CD8+ T cell cytotoxicity, whereas the generation of CD8+CD122+ T cells is supported by Hmox1 and ameliorates fetal-growth restriction in Hmox1 deficiency. These observations in mice could promote the identification of pregnancies at risk for IUGR and the generation of clinical interventional strategies.
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12
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Chaturvedi V, Ertelt JM, Jiang TT, Kinder JM, Xin L, Owens KJ, Jones HN, Way SS. CXCR3 blockade protects against Listeria monocytogenes infection-induced fetal wastage. J Clin Invest 2015; 125:1713-25. [PMID: 25751061 DOI: 10.1172/jci78578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2014] [Accepted: 01/22/2015] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Mammalian pregnancy requires protection against immunological rejection of the developing fetus bearing discordant paternal antigens. Immune evasion in this developmental context entails silenced expression of chemoattractant proteins (chemokines), thereby preventing harmful immune cells from penetrating the maternal-fetal interface. Here, we demonstrate that fetal wastage triggered by prenatal Listeria monocytogenes infection is driven by placental recruitment of CXCL9-producing inflammatory neutrophils and macrophages that promote infiltration of fetal-specific T cells into the decidua. Maternal CD8+ T cells with fetal specificity upregulated expression of the chemokine receptor CXCR3 and, together with neutrophils and macrophages, were essential for L. monocytogenes-induced fetal resorption. Conversely, decidual accumulation of maternal T cells with fetal specificity and fetal wastage were extinguished by CXCR3 blockade or in CXCR3-deficient mice. Remarkably, protection against fetal wastage and in utero L. monocytogenes invasion was maintained even when CXCR3 neutralization was initiated after infection, and this protective effect extended to fetal resorption triggered by partial ablation of immune-suppressive maternal Tregs, which expand during pregnancy to sustain fetal tolerance. Together, our results indicate that functionally overriding chemokine silencing at the maternal-fetal interface promotes the pathogenesis of prenatal infection and suggest that therapeutically reinforcing this pathway represents a universal approach for mitigating immune-mediated pregnancy complications.
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MESH Headings
- Adoptive Transfer
- Ampicillin/therapeutic use
- Animals
- Anti-Bacterial Agents/therapeutic use
- CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes/immunology
- Chemokine CXCL9/biosynthesis
- Chemokine CXCL9/genetics
- Chemokine CXCL9/physiology
- Chemokines/metabolism
- Crosses, Genetic
- Decidua/immunology
- Female
- Fetal Death/etiology
- Fetal Death/prevention & control
- Fetal Resorption/immunology
- Fetal Resorption/prevention & control
- Listeriosis/drug therapy
- Listeriosis/immunology
- Macrophages/immunology
- Male
- Maternal-Fetal Exchange
- Mice
- Mice, Inbred BALB C
- Mice, Inbred C57BL
- Mice, Transgenic
- Neutrophils/immunology
- Ovalbumin/genetics
- Ovalbumin/immunology
- Peptide Fragments/genetics
- Peptide Fragments/immunology
- Pregnancy
- Pregnancy Complications, Infectious/drug therapy
- Pregnancy Complications, Infectious/immunology
- Receptors, CXCR3/antagonists & inhibitors
- Receptors, CXCR3/biosynthesis
- Receptors, CXCR3/deficiency
- Receptors, CXCR3/genetics
- Receptors, CXCR3/physiology
- Spleen/immunology
- T-Cell Antigen Receptor Specificity
- T-Lymphocyte Subsets/immunology
- T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory/immunology
- Up-Regulation
- Virulence
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13
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Jiang TT, Chaturvedi V, Ertelt JM, Kinder JM, Clark DR, Valent AM, Xin L, Way SS. Regulatory T cells: new keys for further unlocking the enigma of fetal tolerance and pregnancy complications. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2014; 192:4949-56. [PMID: 24837152 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1400498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The immunological alterations required for successful pregnancy in eutherian placental mammals have remained a scientific enigma since the discovery of MHC haplotype diversity and unique immune signatures among individuals. Within the past 10 years, accumulating data suggest that immune-suppressive regulatory T cells (Tregs) confer essential protective benefits in sustaining tolerance to the semiallogeneic fetus during pregnancy, along with their more established roles in maintaining tolerance to self and "extended self" commensal Ags that averts autoimmunity. Reciprocally, many human pregnancy complications stemming from inadequacies in fetal tolerance have been associated with defects in maternal Tregs. Thus, further elucidating the immunological shifts during pregnancy not only have direct translational implications for improving perinatal health, they have enormous potential for unveiling new clues about how Tregs work in other biological contexts. In this article, epidemiological data in human pregnancy and complementary animal studies implicating a pivotal protective role for maternal Tregs are summarized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tony T Jiang
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229; Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45229; and
| | - Vandana Chaturvedi
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229
| | - James M Ertelt
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229
| | - Jeremy M Kinder
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229
| | - Dayna R Clark
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229
| | - Amy M Valent
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45229
| | - Lijun Xin
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229
| | - Sing Sing Way
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229;
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14
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Xin L, Ertelt JM, Rowe JH, Jiang TT, Kinder JM, Chaturvedi V, Elahi S, Way SS. Cutting edge: committed Th1 CD4+ T cell differentiation blocks pregnancy-induced Foxp3 expression with antigen-specific fetal loss. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2014; 192:2970-4. [PMID: 24591368 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1302678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Pregnancy stimulates induced Foxp3 expression among maternal CD4(+) T cells with fetal specificity. Although sustained maternal regulatory CD4(+) T cell (Treg) expansion is essential for maintaining fetal tolerance during pregnancy, the necessity for Foxp3(+) cells with fetal specificity remains undefined. In this study, we demonstrate that mitigating Treg differentiation among maternal CD4(+) T cells with a single surrogate fetal specificity elicits Ag-specific fetal loss. Using recombinant Listeria monocytogenes to prime stably differentiated Th1 CD4(+) T cells with fetal I-A(b):2W1S55-68 specificity refractory to pregnancy-induced Foxp3 expression, we show that Ag delivery by cytoplasmic L. monocytogenes causes selective loss of 2W1S(+) offspring through CD4 cell- and IFN-γ-dependent pathways. In contrast, CD4(+) T cells primed by L. monocytogenes restricted from the cell cytoplasm are markedly more plastic for induced Foxp3 expression, with normal pregnancy outcomes. Thus, committed Th1 polarization blocks pregnancy induced Treg differentiation among maternal CD4(+) T cells with fetal specificity and triggers Ag-specific fetal loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lijun Xin
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229
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