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Ebrahimi F, Omidvar-Mehrabadi A, Shahbazi M, Mohammadnia-Afrouzi M. Innate and adaptive immune dysregulation in women with recurrent implantation failure. J Reprod Immunol 2024; 164:104262. [PMID: 38823361 DOI: 10.1016/j.jri.2024.104262] [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: 11/11/2023] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 06/03/2024]
Abstract
Recurrent implantation failure (RIF) is a condition where a woman fails to obtain pregnancy after multiple embryo transfer cycles, even with superior-quality blastocysts. There are various factors that can contribute to RIF, including immunologic disturbances. The immune system is extremely important during pregnancy. Immune cells such as T cells, B cells, natural killer (NK) cells, and macrophages (MQ) are present in the female reproductive tract and are accountable for regulating the immune response to invading pathogens and maintaining tissue homeostasis. Dysregulation of these immune cells can lead to inflammation, which can impair fertility. One of the most common immunological disturbances observed in RIF is an altered Th1/Th2 ratio, along with changes in NK cell and macrophage numbers. In addition, the presence of some antibodies, such as anti-ovarian antibodies, can also contribute to RIF. Interleukins have been implicated in the development of an inflammatory response that can interfere with successful embryo implantation. As a result, a comprehensive understanding of immunological compartments in RIF women could assist us in determining the immunological origins of this disease. We will discuss immunological factors that might contribute to RIF etiology, including cellular and molecular components.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fateme Ebrahimi
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
| | | | - Mehdi Shahbazi
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran.
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2
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Strbo N, Rodriguez S, Padula L, Fisher E, Lyons A, Rodriguez C, Rivas K, Ibrahim M, Paidas M, Attia G. Assessment of immune cells in the uterine fluid at the time of the embryo transfer. Am J Reprod Immunol 2024; 91:e13842. [PMID: 38650366 DOI: 10.1111/aji.13842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2023] [Revised: 03/22/2024] [Accepted: 04/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
PROBLEM Although endometrial receptivity is a key factor in influencing implantation in both naturally conceived and assisted reproductive technology (ART) cycles, very little is known about the endometrium milieu around the time of implantation. Previous studies have demonstrated the presence of several cytokines in the endometrium that affect implantation. However, there is lacking data about the presence of immune cell subtypes within the endometrium and in the uterine cavity at the time of implantation. METHOD OF STUDY This study was approved by the Institutional Review Board (# 225589). The study was designed as a prospective observational cohort study between May 2021 and December 2022 at a single academic-based fertility center. All patients underwent at least one In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) cycle and have frozen embryos. Twenty-four participants were recruited for this study which was conducted during the frozen embryo transfer (FET) cycle regardless of the outcome of previous cycles. Two samples were acquired from each subject, denoted as lower and upper. A trial transfer catheter was introduced under ultrasound guidance into the lower uterine segment. Upon removal, the tip was rinsed in IMDM medium containing 10% FBS (lower uterus). A transfer catheter was then loaded with the embryo that was placed in the upper uterus under ultrasound guidance. The tip of the transfer catheter was rinsed in separate aliquot of the above media (upper uterus). After centrifugation, pelleted cells were stained for the following surface markers: CD45, CD3, CD19, CD4, CD8, gamma delta TCR, CD25, CD127, CD66b, CD14, CD16, CD56 and acquired on Sony SP6800 Spectral Analyzer. RESULTS Upon staining the pelleted cells, we were able to identify viable leukocytes from samples obtained from both, upper and lower uterus (0.125 × 106 cells ± SD 0.32), (0.123 × 106 cells ± SD 0.12), respectively. Among total viable cells, there was no significant difference in both percent and number of CD45+ cells between the upper and lower uterus (9.88% ± 6.98 SD, 13.67% ± 9.79 SD, p = .198) respectively. However, there was significantly higher expression of CD3+ (p = .006), CD19+ (p = .032) and CD14+ (p = .019) cells in samples collected from upper compared to lower uterus. Within all CD3+ cells, we found that gamma delta T cells (GDT) were the major population of T cells in both upper and lower uterus. In contrast, CD8+ T cells were significantly higher in the lower uterus when compared to the upper uterus (p = .009). There was no statistically significant difference in the expression of CD4+ T cells, T regulatory cells (CD4+CD25+CD127-), NK cells (CD56+), neutrophils (CD66b+) and FcγRIII+ cells (CD16+) between upper and lower uterus. CONCLUSIONS We believe the immune milieu at the time of embryo transfer will affect implantation. Understanding the composition of immune cells will guide further research in identifying optimal immune milieus that favor implantation. Comprehensive analysis of endometrium is expected to lead to new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to improve IVF outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natasa Strbo
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Suset Rodriguez
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Division of Reproductive Endocrinology, and Infertility, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Laura Padula
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Eva Fisher
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Annabel Lyons
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Carolina Rodriguez
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Katelyn Rivas
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Mohammed Ibrahim
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Division of Reproductive Endocrinology, and Infertility, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Michael Paidas
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Division of Reproductive Endocrinology, and Infertility, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - George Attia
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Division of Reproductive Endocrinology, and Infertility, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA
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Chen YN, Hsu KH, Huang CG, Chiang MC, Chu SM, Chen CL, Hsu JF, Chueh HY. Clinical Characteristics of Infants with Symptomatic Congenital and Postnatal Cytomegalovirus Infection-An 11-Year Multicenter Cohort Study in Taiwan. CHILDREN (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 11:17. [PMID: 38255331 PMCID: PMC10813870 DOI: 10.3390/children11010017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2023] [Revised: 12/12/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
(1) Background: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is a prevalent viral disease among infants. The prevalence typically ranges from 0.2% to 2.4% among all newborns. There are limited data regarding the demographic characteristics of infants with symptomatic CMV infections. (2) Methods: In this retrospective cohort study using the Chang Gung Memorial Hospital multicenter database, infants with CMV infection determined by a positive urine culture, positive blood polymerase chain reaction assay or positive immunoglobulin M result for CMV from 2011 through 2021 were included. Clinical characteristics at initial diagnosis, management and outcomes were investigated. Congenital CMV (cCMV) infection is diagnosed within three weeks after birth; postnatal CMV (pCMV) is diagnosed when CMV is detected after the first 3 weeks of life. (3) Results: Among the 505 CMV-infected infants identified, 272 were included in the analysis. According to the age at initial presentation, 21 infants had cCMV infection and 251 had pCMV infection. Higher incidences of prematurity and being small for gestational age and a lower Z score for weight at diagnosis were observed in the cCMV group. While thrombocytopenia (61.9%) was the leading presentation in the cCMV group, hepatitis (59.8%) and prolonged jaundice (21.9%) were more common in the pCMV group. (4) Conclusions: Utilizing an 11-year multicenter database, we demonstrated the characteristics of infants with CMV infection in Taiwan and highlighted the demographic disparities and differing symptoms between the cCMV and pCMV groups. These findings emphasize the necessity for future research to refine screening policies, explore treatment options, and establish follow-up protocols for affected infants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Ning Chen
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan 33382, Taiwan; (Y.-N.C.); (K.-H.H.); (M.-C.C.); (S.-M.C.); (J.-F.H.)
| | - Kai-Hsiang Hsu
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan 33382, Taiwan; (Y.-N.C.); (K.-H.H.); (M.-C.C.); (S.-M.C.); (J.-F.H.)
- College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 33302, Taiwan
- Graduate Institute of Clinical Medical Science, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 33302, Taiwan
| | - Chung-Guei Huang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan 33382, Taiwan;
- Department of Medical Biotechnology and Laboratory Science, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 33302, Taiwan
| | - Ming-Chou Chiang
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan 33382, Taiwan; (Y.-N.C.); (K.-H.H.); (M.-C.C.); (S.-M.C.); (J.-F.H.)
- College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 33302, Taiwan
| | - Shih-Ming Chu
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan 33382, Taiwan; (Y.-N.C.); (K.-H.H.); (M.-C.C.); (S.-M.C.); (J.-F.H.)
- College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 33302, Taiwan
| | - Chyi-Liang Chen
- Molecular Infectious Disease Research Center, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan 33382, Taiwan;
| | - Jen-Fu Hsu
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan 33382, Taiwan; (Y.-N.C.); (K.-H.H.); (M.-C.C.); (S.-M.C.); (J.-F.H.)
- College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 33302, Taiwan
| | - Ho-Yen Chueh
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 33302, Taiwan
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Lewis EL, Reichenberger ER, Anton L, Gonzalez MV, Taylor DM, Porrett PM, Elovitz MA. Regulatory T cell adoptive transfer alters uterine immune populations, increasing a novel MHC-II low macrophage associated with healthy pregnancy. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1256453. [PMID: 37901247 PMCID: PMC10611509 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1256453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Intrauterine fetal demise (IUFD) - fetal loss after 20 weeks - affects 6 pregnancies per 1,000 live births in the United States, and the majority are of unknown etiology. Maternal systemic regulatory T cell (Treg) deficits have been implicated in fetal loss, but whether mucosal immune cells at the maternal-fetal interface contribute to fetal loss is under-explored. We hypothesized that the immune cell composition and function of the uterine mucosa would contribute to the pathogenesis of IUFD. To investigate local immune mechanisms of IUFD, we used the CBA mouse strain, which naturally has mid-late gestation fetal loss. We performed a Treg adoptive transfer and interrogated both pregnancy outcomes and the impact of systemic maternal Tregs on mucosal immune populations at the maternal-fetal interface. Treg transfer prevented fetal loss and increased an MHC-IIlow population of uterine macrophages. Single-cell RNA-sequencing was utilized to precisely evaluate the impact of systemic Tregs on uterine myeloid populations. A population of C1q+, Trem2+, MHC-IIlow uterine macrophages were increased in Treg-recipient mice. The transcriptional signature of this novel uterine macrophage subtype is enriched in multiple studies of human healthy decidual macrophages, suggesting a conserved role for these macrophages in preventing fetal loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma L. Lewis
- Center for Research on Reproduction and Women’s Health, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Erin R. Reichenberger
- Department of Biomedical and Health Informatics, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Lauren Anton
- Center for Research on Reproduction and Women’s Health, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Michael V. Gonzalez
- Center for Cytokine Storm Treatment & Laboratory, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- Center for Applied Genomics, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Deanne M. Taylor
- Department of Biomedical and Health Informatics, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Paige M. Porrett
- Department of Surgery, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Michal A. Elovitz
- Women’s Biomedical Research Institute, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
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Mahajan S, Alexander A, Koenig Z, Saba N, Prasanphanich N, Hildeman DA, Chougnet CA, DeFranco E, Andorf S, Tilburgs T. Antigen-specific decidual CD8+ T cells include distinct effector memory and tissue-resident memory cells. JCI Insight 2023; 8:e171806. [PMID: 37681414 PMCID: PMC10544202 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.171806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Maternal decidual CD8+ T cells must integrate the antithetical demands of providing immunity to infection while maintaining immune tolerance for fetal and placental antigens. Human decidual CD8+ T cells were shown to be highly differentiated memory T cells with mixed signatures of dysfunction, activation, and effector function. However, no information is present on how specificity for microbial or fetal antigens relates to their function or dysfunction. In addition, a key question, whether decidual CD8+ T cells include unique tissue-resident memory T cells (Trm) or also effector memory T cell (Tem) types shared with peripheral blood populations, is unknown. Here, high-dimensional flow cytometry of decidual and blood CD8+ T cells identified 2 Tem populations shared in blood and decidua and 9 functionally distinct Trm clusters uniquely found in decidua. Interestingly, fetus- and virus-specific decidual CD8+ Trm cells had similar features of inhibition and cytotoxicity, with no significant differences in their expression of activation, inhibitory, and cytotoxic molecules, suggesting that not all fetus-specific CD8+ T cell responses are suppressed at the maternal-fetal interface. Understanding how decidual CD8+ T cell specificity relates to their function and tissue residency is crucial in advancing understanding of their contribution to placental inflammation and control of congenital infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shweta Mahajan
- Immunology Graduate Program, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
- Division of Immunobiology
| | - Aria Alexander
- Immunology Graduate Program, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
- Division of Immunobiology
| | - Zachary Koenig
- Immunology Graduate Program, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
- Division of Immunobiology
| | | | - Nina Prasanphanich
- Division of Immunobiology
- Division of Infectious disease, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | | | | | - Emily DeFranco
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Sandra Andorf
- Division of Biomedical Informatics, and
- Department of Pediatrics, and
- Division of Allergy & Immunology, and
| | - Tamara Tilburgs
- Division of Immunobiology
- Department of Pediatrics, and
- Center for Inflammation and Tolerance, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
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Chasman DA, Welch Schwartz R, Vazquez J, Chavarria M, Jenkins ET, Lopez GE, Tyler CT, Stanic AK, Ong IM. Proteogenomic and V(D)J Analysis of Human Decidual T Cells Highlights Unique Transcriptional Programming and Clonal Distribution. JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY (BALTIMORE, MD. : 1950) 2023; 211:154-162. [PMID: 37195197 PMCID: PMC10330249 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.2200061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Immunological tolerance toward the semiallogeneic fetus is one of many maternal adaptations required for a successful pregnancy. T cells are major players of the adaptive immune system and balance tolerance and protection at the maternal-fetal interface; however, their repertoire and subset programming are still poorly understood. Using emerging single-cell RNA sequencing technologies, we simultaneously obtained transcript, limited protein, and receptor repertoire at the single-cell level, from decidual and matched maternal peripheral human T cells. The decidua maintains a tissue-specific distribution of T cell subsets compared with the periphery. We find that decidual T cells maintain a unique transcriptome programming, characterized by restraint of inflammatory pathways by overexpression of negative regulators (DUSP, TNFAIP3, ZFP36) and expression of PD-1, CTLA-4, TIGIT, and LAG3 in some CD8 clusters. Finally, analyzing TCR clonotypes demonstrated decreased diversity in specific decidual T cell populations. Overall, our data demonstrate the power of multiomics analysis in revealing regulation of fetal-maternal immune coexistence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deborah A. Chasman
- Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI
- Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI
| | - Rene Welch Schwartz
- Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI
- Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI
- University of Wisconsin Carbone Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI
| | - Jessica Vazquez
- Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI
| | - Melina Chavarria
- Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI
| | - Eryne T. Jenkins
- Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI
| | - Gladys E. Lopez
- Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI
| | - Chanel T. Tyler
- Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI
| | - Aleksandar K. Stanic
- Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI
| | - Irene M. Ong
- Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI
- Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI
- University of Wisconsin Carbone Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI
- Center for Human Genomics and Precision Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI
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7
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Saadedine M, El Sabeh M, Borahay MA, Daoud G. The influence of COVID-19 infection-associated immune response on the female reproductive system†. Biol Reprod 2023; 108:172-182. [PMID: 36173920 PMCID: PMC9620712 DOI: 10.1093/biolre/ioac187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2022] [Revised: 09/22/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a multi-system disease that has led to a pandemic with unprecedented ramifications. The pandemic has challenged scientists for the past 2 years and brought back previously abandoned research topics. COVID-19 infection causes a myriad of symptoms ranging from mild flu-like symptoms to severe illness requiring hospitalization. Case reports showed multiple systemic effects of COVID-19 infection, including acute respiratory distress syndrome, fibrosis, colitis, thyroiditis, demyelinating syndromes, and mania, indicating that COVID-19 can affect most human body systems. Unsurprisingly, a major concern for women all over the globe is whether a COVID-19 infection has any long-term effects on their menstrual cycle, fertility, or pregnancy. Published data have suggested an effect on the reproductive health, and we hypothesize that the reported reproductive adverse effects are due to the robust immune reaction against COVID-19 and the associated cytokine storm. While the COVID-19 receptor (angiotensin converting enzyme, ACE2) is expressed in the ovaries, uterus, vagina, and placenta, we hypothesize that it plays a less important role in the adverse effects on the reproductive system. Cytokines and glucocorticoids act on the hypothalamo-pituitary gonadal axis, arachidonic acid pathways, and the uterus, which leads to menstrual disturbances and pregnancy-related adverse events such as preterm labor and miscarriages. This hypothesis is further supported by the apparent lack of long-term effects on the reproductive health in females, indicating that when the cytokine storm and its effects are dampened, the reproductive health of women is no longer affected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariam Saadedine
- Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology and Physiological Sciences, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Malak El Sabeh
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Mostafa A Borahay
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Georges Daoud
- Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology and Physiological Sciences, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon
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Shen MJ, Pan DC, Du L, Jiang GJ. Clinical Research into Treating Unexplained Recurrent Spontaneous Abortion during Early Pregnancy with the Qing Yi Tiao Mian Formula. Explore (NY) 2023; 19:52-57. [PMID: 35397998 DOI: 10.1016/j.explore.2022.03.009] [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: 11/02/2021] [Revised: 03/22/2022] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The present study aims to analyze the clinical effect of the Qing Yi Tiao Mian (QYTM) formula on unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortion (URSA) during early pregnancy and the immune balance of T lymphocytes. METHODS With their consent, 45 patients with URSA in weeks 4-9 of pregnancy were separated into three groups, i.e., the conventional fetal protection (n = 15), prednisone treatment (n = 10), and QYTM formula treatment (n = 20) groups. These patients received treatment once they had been diagnosed with an intrauterine pregnancy. The conventional fetal protection group was given progesterone (20 ∼ 40 mg daily injection) for four weeks. The prednisone treatment group was given progesterone (20 ∼ 40 mg daily injection) + prednisone (5 mg/d) for four weeks. The QYTM formula treatment group was given progesterone (20 ∼ 40 mg daily injection) + QYTM formula (one dose per day) for four weeks. In addition, women who had previously had a normal pregnancy were enrolled as a control group (n = 18). The success rate of the pregnancy in the first trimester was observed in each group, and the proportion of T lymphocytes in the peripheral blood before and after treatment was recorded. RESULTS Among the 20 patients with URSA in the QYTM formula treatment group, 19 remained pregnant. Thus, the success rate during early pregnancy was 95%, which was significantly higher than the conventional fetal protection (53.33%) and prednisone treatment (70%) groups. The CD8+ T and natural killer (NK) cells population in the URSA groups was higher compared with the control group (P < 0.01). The QYTM formula treatment significantly decreased the ratio of CD8+ T lymphocytes (P < 0.01) and NK cells (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION The QYTM formula significantly decreased the spontaneous abortion rate in patients with URSA during early pregnancy. The mechanism may be closely related to the inhibition of the killer lymphocytes' proliferation by CD8+ T lymphocytes and NK cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming-Jie Shen
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Shuguang Hospital affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Ding-Chen Pan
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Shuguang Hospital affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Le Du
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Shuguang Hospital affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Guo-Jing Jiang
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Shuguang Hospital affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China.
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9
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Liu Y, Qu M, Jiang H, Schneider R, Qin G, Luo W, Yu H, Zhang B, Wang X, Zhang Y, Zhang H, Zhang Z, Wu Y, Zhang Y, Yin J, Zhang S, Venkatesh B, Roth O, Meyer A, Lin Q. Immunogenetic losses co-occurred with seahorse male pregnancy and mutation in tlx1 accompanied functional asplenia. Nat Commun 2022; 13:7610. [PMID: 36494371 PMCID: PMC9734139 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-35338-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In the highly derived syngnathid fishes (pipefishes, seadragons & seahorses), the evolution of sex-role reversed brooding behavior culminated in the seahorse lineage's male pregnancy, whose males feature a specialized brood pouch into which females deposit eggs during mating. Then, eggs are intimately engulfed by a placenta-like tissue that facilitates gas and nutrient exchange. As fathers immunologically tolerate allogenic embryos, it was suggested that male pregnancy co-evolved with specific immunological adaptations. Indeed, here we show that a specific amino-acid replacement in the tlx1 transcription factor is associated with seahorses' asplenia (loss of spleen, an organ central in the immune system), as confirmed by a CRISPR-Cas9 experiment using zebrafish. Comparative genomics across the syngnathid phylogeny revealed that the complexity of the immune system gene repertoire decreases as parental care intensity increases. The synchronous evolution of immunogenetic alterations and male pregnancy supports the notion that male pregnancy co-evolved with the immunological tolerance of the embryo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yali Liu
- grid.9227.e0000000119573309CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-Resources and Ecology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 510301 Guangzhou, China ,grid.9227.e0000000119573309Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510301 PR China ,grid.410726.60000 0004 1797 8419University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101 Beijing, China
| | - Meng Qu
- grid.9227.e0000000119573309CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-Resources and Ecology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 510301 Guangzhou, China ,grid.9227.e0000000119573309Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510301 PR China
| | - Han Jiang
- grid.9227.e0000000119573309CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-Resources and Ecology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 510301 Guangzhou, China ,grid.410726.60000 0004 1797 8419University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101 Beijing, China
| | - Ralf Schneider
- grid.9764.c0000 0001 2153 9986Marine Evolutionary Ecology, Zoological Institute, Kiel University, 24118 Kiel, Germany
| | - Geng Qin
- grid.9227.e0000000119573309CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-Resources and Ecology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 510301 Guangzhou, China ,grid.9227.e0000000119573309Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510301 PR China
| | - Wei Luo
- grid.9227.e0000000119573309CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-Resources and Ecology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 510301 Guangzhou, China
| | - Haiyan Yu
- grid.9227.e0000000119573309CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-Resources and Ecology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 510301 Guangzhou, China
| | - Bo Zhang
- grid.9227.e0000000119573309CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-Resources and Ecology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 510301 Guangzhou, China
| | - Xin Wang
- grid.9227.e0000000119573309CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-Resources and Ecology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 510301 Guangzhou, China ,grid.9227.e0000000119573309Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510301 PR China
| | - Yanhong Zhang
- grid.9227.e0000000119573309CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-Resources and Ecology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 510301 Guangzhou, China ,grid.9227.e0000000119573309Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510301 PR China
| | - Huixian Zhang
- grid.9227.e0000000119573309CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-Resources and Ecology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 510301 Guangzhou, China ,grid.9227.e0000000119573309Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510301 PR China
| | - Zhixin Zhang
- grid.9227.e0000000119573309CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-Resources and Ecology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 510301 Guangzhou, China ,grid.412785.d0000 0001 0695 6482Graduate School of Marine Science and Technology, Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, Minato, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yongli Wu
- grid.9227.e0000000119573309CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-Resources and Ecology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 510301 Guangzhou, China
| | - Yingyi Zhang
- grid.9227.e0000000119573309CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-Resources and Ecology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 510301 Guangzhou, China ,grid.410726.60000 0004 1797 8419University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101 Beijing, China
| | - Jianping Yin
- grid.9227.e0000000119573309CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-Resources and Ecology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 510301 Guangzhou, China ,grid.9227.e0000000119573309Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510301 PR China
| | - Si Zhang
- grid.9227.e0000000119573309CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-Resources and Ecology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 510301 Guangzhou, China ,grid.9227.e0000000119573309Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510301 PR China
| | - Byrappa Venkatesh
- grid.418812.60000 0004 0620 9243Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, A*STAR, 138673 Singapore, Singapore
| | - Olivia Roth
- grid.9764.c0000 0001 2153 9986Marine Evolutionary Ecology, Zoological Institute, Kiel University, 24118 Kiel, Germany
| | - Axel Meyer
- grid.9811.10000 0001 0658 7699Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78464 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Qiang Lin
- grid.9227.e0000000119573309CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-Resources and Ecology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 510301 Guangzhou, China ,grid.9227.e0000000119573309Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510301 PR China ,grid.410726.60000 0004 1797 8419University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101 Beijing, China
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10
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Manchorova D, Papadopoulou M, Alexandrova M, Dimitrova V, Djerov L, Zapryanova S, Dimitrova P, Vangelov I, Vermijlen D, Dimova T. Human decidual gamma/delta T cells possess unique effector and TCR repertoire profiles during pregnancy. Cell Immunol 2022; 382:104634. [PMID: 36308817 DOI: 10.1016/j.cellimm.2022.104634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2022] [Revised: 08/21/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Human γδ T cells are enriched at the maternal-fetal interface (MFI, decidua basalis) showing a highly differentiated phenotype. However, their functional potential is not well-known and it is not clear whether this decidua-enrichment is associated with specific γδ T cell receptors (TCR) as is observed in mice. Here we addressed these open questions by investigating decidual γδ T cells during early and late gestation, in comparison with paired blood samples, with flow cytometry (cytotoxic mediators, cytokines) and TCR high-throughput sequencing. While decidual γδ T cells expressed less perforin than their counterparts in the blood, they expressed significant more granulysin during early pregnancy. Strikingly, this high granulysin expression was limited to early pregnancy, as it was reduced at term pregnancy. In contrast to this granulysin expression pattern, decidual γδ T cells produced reduced levels of IFNγ and TNFα (compared to paired blood) in early pregnancy that then increased by term pregnancy. TCR repertoire analysis indicated that human decidual γδ T cells are not generated early in life as in the mouse. Despite this, a specific enrichment of the Vγ2 chain in the decidua in early pregnancy was observed that disappeared later onwards, reflecting dynamic changes in the decidual γδ TCR repertoire during human gestation. In conclusion, our data indicate that decidual γδ T cells express a specific and dynamic pattern of cytotoxic mediators, Th1 cytokines and TCR repertoire suggesting an important role for these unconventional T cells in assuring a healthy pregnancy in human.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Manchorova
- Institute of Biology and Immunology of Reproduction "Acad. K. Bratanov", Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia 1113, 73 Tzarigradsko shosse blv, Bulgaria
| | - M Papadopoulou
- Department of Pharmacotherapy and Pharmaceutics, Universite Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), 1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - M Alexandrova
- Institute of Biology and Immunology of Reproduction "Acad. K. Bratanov", Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia 1113, 73 Tzarigradsko shosse blv, Bulgaria
| | - V Dimitrova
- Medical University, University Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital "Maichin Dom", Sofia 1463, 2 Zdrave Str., Bulgaria
| | - L Djerov
- Medical University, University Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital "Maichin Dom", Sofia 1463, 2 Zdrave Str., Bulgaria
| | - S Zapryanova
- Institute of Biology and Immunology of Reproduction "Acad. K. Bratanov", Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia 1113, 73 Tzarigradsko shosse blv, Bulgaria
| | - P Dimitrova
- Institute of Microbiology "Acad. St. Angelov", Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia 1113, 25 Acad. G. Bonchev str., Bulgaria
| | - I Vangelov
- Institute of Biology and Immunology of Reproduction "Acad. K. Bratanov", Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia 1113, 73 Tzarigradsko shosse blv, Bulgaria
| | - D Vermijlen
- Department of Pharmacotherapy and Pharmaceutics, Universite Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), 1050 Brussels, Belgium; Institute for Medical Immunology, Universitȇ Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), 6041 Gosselies, Belgium; ULB Center for Research in Immunology (U-CRI), Universite Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Belgium; Walloon Excellence in Life Sciences and Biotechnology (WELBIO), Wavre, Belgium
| | - T Dimova
- Institute of Biology and Immunology of Reproduction "Acad. K. Bratanov", Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia 1113, 73 Tzarigradsko shosse blv, Bulgaria.
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11
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Tim-3: An inhibitory immune checkpoint is associated with maternal-fetal tolerance and recurrent spontaneous abortion. Clin Immunol 2022; 245:109185. [DOI: 10.1016/j.clim.2022.109185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2022] [Revised: 10/27/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
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12
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Crump LS, Kines KT, Richer JK, Lyons TR. Breast cancers co-opt normal mechanisms of tolerance to promote immune evasion and metastasis. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 2022; 323:C1475-C1495. [PMID: 36189970 PMCID: PMC9662806 DOI: 10.1152/ajpcell.00189.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2022] [Revised: 09/22/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Normal developmental processes, such as those seen during embryonic development and postpartum mammary gland involution, can be reactivated by cancer cells to promote immune suppression, tumor growth, and metastatic spread. In mammalian embryos, paternal-derived antigens are at risk of being recognized as foreign by the maternal immune system. Suppression of the maternal immune response toward the fetus, which is mediated in part by the trophoblast, is critical to ensure embryonic survival and development. The postpartum mammary microenvironment also exhibits immunosuppressive mechanisms accompanying the massive cell death and tissue remodeling that occurs during mammary gland involution. These normal immunosuppressive mechanisms are paralleled during malignant transformation, where tumors can develop neoantigens that may be recognized as foreign by the immune system. To circumvent this, tumors can dedifferentiate and co-opt immune-suppressive mechanisms normally utilized during fetal tolerance and postpartum mammary involution. In this review, we discuss those similarities and how they can inform our understanding of cancer progression and metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lyndsey S Crump
- Department of Pathology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Kelsey T Kines
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado
- Young Women's Breast Cancer Translational Program, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Jennifer K Richer
- Department of Pathology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado
- University of Colorado Cancer Center, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Traci R Lyons
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado
- Young Women's Breast Cancer Translational Program, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado
- University of Colorado Cancer Center, Aurora, Colorado
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13
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Ma Y, Liu X, Lou H, Chen L, He W, Pan Q, Liao D, Li J, Wu J, Xiong R, Liu S, Luo M, Wu F, Chen J, Liu Z, Tang L, Li Y, Gao Y. Impaired CD8 T cells in term pregnancy decidua with chronic hepatitis B virus infection. Am J Reprod Immunol 2022; 88:e13610. [PMID: 35957616 DOI: 10.1111/aji.13610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2022] [Revised: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
PROBLEM Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is more likely to develop a state of chronicity in early life, particularly mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of HBV in the fetus during pregnancy. Till now, little is known about the impact of chronic HBV infection on the immune status of the maternal-fetus interface, and the immune profile of placental lymphocytes in MTCT of HBV is poorly understood. METHOD OF STUDY Thirteen term pregnant women with chronic HBV infection (HBV-PW) and thirteen normal pregnant women as healthy control (HC-PW) were enrolled. The profile of placental immune cells and paired peripheral blood were analyzed by flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry. RESULTS Compared with HC-PW, the frequency of CD8+ T cells from the term placenta of HBV-PW was significantly reduced. These cells showed decreased expression of activation molecules CD69 and HLA-DR; thus, decidual CD8+ T cells from HBV-PW demonstrated hypofunctional signature as evidenced by significantly reduced production of IFN-γ, as well as compromised ability of degranulation and proliferation. CONCLUSIONS These findings supported that hypoactivated decidual CD8+ T cells might possess compromised ability in chronically HBV-infected term pregnant women. Our study provides robust evidence for the necessity and importance of antiviral intervention in HBV-PW to prevent MTCT of HBV. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanchen Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Viral Hepatitis Research, Department of Infectious Diseases, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University
| | - Xiaoyi Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Viral Hepatitis Research, Department of Infectious Diseases, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University
| | - Haonan Lou
- State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Viral Hepatitis Research, Department of Infectious Diseases, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University
| | - Liang Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Viral Hepatitis Research, Department of Infectious Diseases, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University.,Department of Infectious Diseases, Hunan Provincial People's Hospital (The First Affiliated Hospital of Hunan Normal University)
| | - Weiying He
- State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Viral Hepatitis Research, Department of Infectious Diseases, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University
| | - Qingqing Pan
- State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Viral Hepatitis Research, Department of Infectious Diseases, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University
| | - Dandan Liao
- Department of Obstetrics, Guangdong Second Provincial General Hospital
| | - Juanhua Li
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Zengcheng Branch, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University
| | - Jingran Wu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University
| | - Rongzhu Xiong
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Zengcheng Branch, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University
| | - Sihua Liu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Zengcheng Branch, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University
| | - Manling Luo
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University
| | - Fei Wu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University
| | - Jing Chen
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University
| | - Zhihua Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Viral Hepatitis Research, Department of Infectious Diseases, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University
| | - Libo Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Viral Hepatitis Research, Department of Infectious Diseases, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University
| | - Yongyin Li
- State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Viral Hepatitis Research, Department of Infectious Diseases, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University
| | - Yunfei Gao
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Zengcheng Branch, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University
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14
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Durgam SS, Alegre ML, Chong AS. Toward an understanding of allogeneic conflict in pregnancy and transplantation. J Exp Med 2022; 219:213135. [PMID: 35416935 PMCID: PMC9011201 DOI: 10.1084/jem.20211493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2021] [Revised: 12/03/2021] [Accepted: 01/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Pregnancy is recognized as a spontaneously acquired state of immunological tolerance by the mother to her semi-allogeneic fetus, but it is a major cause of allosensitization in candidates for organ transplantation. This sensitization, assessed by the presence of anti-HLA IgG, contributes to sex disparity in access to transplantation and increases the risk for rejection and graft loss. Understanding this dual tolerance/sensitization conundrum may lead to new strategies for equalizing access to transplantation among sexes and improving transplant outcomes in parous women. Here, we review the clinical evidence that pregnancy results in humoral sensitization and query whether T cell responses are sensitized. Furthermore, we summarize preclinical evidence on the effects of pregnancy on fetus-specific CD4+ conventional, regulatory, and CD8+ T cells, and humoral responses. We end with a discussion on the impact of the divergent effects that pregnancy has upon alloantigen re-encounter in the context of solid organ transplantation, and how these insights point to a therapeutic roadmap for controlling pregnancy-dependent allosensitization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samarth S Durgam
- Section of Transplantation, Department of Surgery, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
| | - Maria-Luisa Alegre
- Section of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
| | - Anita S Chong
- Section of Transplantation, Department of Surgery, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
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15
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Ikumi NM, Matjila M. Preterm Birth in Women With HIV: The Role of the Placenta. Front Glob Womens Health 2022; 3:820759. [PMID: 35392117 PMCID: PMC8982913 DOI: 10.3389/fgwh.2022.820759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2021] [Accepted: 02/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Maternal HIV infection is associated with an increased risk of preterm birth (PTB). However, the mechanisms underlying this increased risk in women with HIV remain poorly understood. In this regard, it is well-established that labor is an inflammatory process and premature activation of the pro-inflammatory signals (associated with labor) can result in preterm labor which can subsequently lead to PTB. HIV infection is known to cause severe immune dysregulation within its host characterized by altered immune profiles, chronic inflammation and eventually, the progressive failure of the immune system. The human placenta comprises different immune cell subsets, some of which play an important role during pregnancy including participating in the inflammatory processes that accompany labor. It is therefore plausible that HIV/antiretroviral therapy (ART)-associated immune dysregulation within the placental microenvironment may underlie the increased risk of PTB reported in women with HIV. Here, we review evidence from studies that point toward the placental origin of spontaneous PTB and discuss possible ways maternal HIV infection and/or ART could increase this risk. We focus on key cellular players in the maternal decidua including natural killer cells, CD4+ T cells including CD4+ regulatory T cells, CD8+ T cells as well as macrophages.
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16
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Ortega MA, Fraile-Martínez O, García-Montero C, Sáez MA, Álvarez-Mon MA, Torres-Carranza D, Álvarez-Mon M, Bujan J, García-Honduvilla N, Bravo C, Guijarro LG, De León-Luis JA. The Pivotal Role of the Placenta in Normal and Pathological Pregnancies: A Focus on Preeclampsia, Fetal Growth Restriction, and Maternal Chronic Venous Disease. Cells 2022; 11:cells11030568. [PMID: 35159377 PMCID: PMC8833914 DOI: 10.3390/cells11030568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2021] [Revised: 02/02/2022] [Accepted: 02/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
The placenta is a central structure in pregnancy and has pleiotropic functions. This organ grows incredibly rapidly during this period, acting as a mastermind behind different fetal and maternal processes. The relevance of the placenta extends far beyond the pregnancy, being crucial for fetal programming before birth. Having integrative knowledge of this maternofetal structure helps significantly in understanding the development of pregnancy either in a proper or pathophysiological context. Thus, the aim of this review is to summarize the main features of the placenta, with a special focus on its early development, cytoarchitecture, immunology, and functions in non-pathological conditions. In contraposition, the role of the placenta is examined in preeclampsia, a worrisome hypertensive disorder of pregnancy, in order to describe the pathophysiological implications of the placenta in this disease. Likewise, dysfunction of the placenta in fetal growth restriction, a major consequence of preeclampsia, is also discussed, emphasizing the potential clinical strategies derived. Finally, the emerging role of the placenta in maternal chronic venous disease either as a causative agent or as a consequence of the disease is equally treated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel A. Ortega
- Department of Medicine and Medical Specialties, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Alcalá, 28801 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain; (O.F.-M.); (C.G.-M.); (M.A.S.); (M.A.Á.-M.); (D.T.-C.); (M.Á.-M.); (J.B.); (N.G.-H.)
- Ramón y Cajal Institute of Healthcare Research (IRYCIS), 28034 Madrid, Spain;
- Cancer Registry and Pathology Department, Hospital Universitario Principe de Asturias, 28801 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +34-91-885-4540; Fax: +34-91-885-4885
| | - Oscar Fraile-Martínez
- Department of Medicine and Medical Specialties, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Alcalá, 28801 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain; (O.F.-M.); (C.G.-M.); (M.A.S.); (M.A.Á.-M.); (D.T.-C.); (M.Á.-M.); (J.B.); (N.G.-H.)
- Ramón y Cajal Institute of Healthcare Research (IRYCIS), 28034 Madrid, Spain;
| | - Cielo García-Montero
- Department of Medicine and Medical Specialties, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Alcalá, 28801 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain; (O.F.-M.); (C.G.-M.); (M.A.S.); (M.A.Á.-M.); (D.T.-C.); (M.Á.-M.); (J.B.); (N.G.-H.)
- Ramón y Cajal Institute of Healthcare Research (IRYCIS), 28034 Madrid, Spain;
| | - Miguel A. Sáez
- Department of Medicine and Medical Specialties, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Alcalá, 28801 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain; (O.F.-M.); (C.G.-M.); (M.A.S.); (M.A.Á.-M.); (D.T.-C.); (M.Á.-M.); (J.B.); (N.G.-H.)
- Ramón y Cajal Institute of Healthcare Research (IRYCIS), 28034 Madrid, Spain;
- Pathological Anatomy Service, Central University Hospital of Defence-UAH, 28047 Madrid, Spain
| | - Miguel Angel Álvarez-Mon
- Department of Medicine and Medical Specialties, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Alcalá, 28801 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain; (O.F.-M.); (C.G.-M.); (M.A.S.); (M.A.Á.-M.); (D.T.-C.); (M.Á.-M.); (J.B.); (N.G.-H.)
- Ramón y Cajal Institute of Healthcare Research (IRYCIS), 28034 Madrid, Spain;
| | - Diego Torres-Carranza
- Department of Medicine and Medical Specialties, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Alcalá, 28801 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain; (O.F.-M.); (C.G.-M.); (M.A.S.); (M.A.Á.-M.); (D.T.-C.); (M.Á.-M.); (J.B.); (N.G.-H.)
| | - Melchor Álvarez-Mon
- Department of Medicine and Medical Specialties, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Alcalá, 28801 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain; (O.F.-M.); (C.G.-M.); (M.A.S.); (M.A.Á.-M.); (D.T.-C.); (M.Á.-M.); (J.B.); (N.G.-H.)
- Ramón y Cajal Institute of Healthcare Research (IRYCIS), 28034 Madrid, Spain;
- Immune System Diseases-Rheumatology and Oncology Service, University Hospital Príncipe de Asturias, CIBEREHD, 28801 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain
| | - Julia Bujan
- Department of Medicine and Medical Specialties, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Alcalá, 28801 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain; (O.F.-M.); (C.G.-M.); (M.A.S.); (M.A.Á.-M.); (D.T.-C.); (M.Á.-M.); (J.B.); (N.G.-H.)
- Ramón y Cajal Institute of Healthcare Research (IRYCIS), 28034 Madrid, Spain;
| | - Natalio García-Honduvilla
- Department of Medicine and Medical Specialties, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Alcalá, 28801 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain; (O.F.-M.); (C.G.-M.); (M.A.S.); (M.A.Á.-M.); (D.T.-C.); (M.Á.-M.); (J.B.); (N.G.-H.)
- Ramón y Cajal Institute of Healthcare Research (IRYCIS), 28034 Madrid, Spain;
| | - Coral Bravo
- Department of Public and Maternal and Child Health, School of Medicine, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain; (C.B.); (J.A.D.L.-L.)
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital Gregorio Marañón, 28009 Madrid, Spain
- Health Research Institute Gregorio Marañón, 28009 Madrid, Spain
| | - Luis G. Guijarro
- Ramón y Cajal Institute of Healthcare Research (IRYCIS), 28034 Madrid, Spain;
- Unit of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (CIBEREHD), Department of System Biology, University of Alcalá, 28801 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain
| | - Juan A. De León-Luis
- Department of Public and Maternal and Child Health, School of Medicine, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain; (C.B.); (J.A.D.L.-L.)
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital Gregorio Marañón, 28009 Madrid, Spain
- Health Research Institute Gregorio Marañón, 28009 Madrid, Spain
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17
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Dynamic changes in regulatory T cells during normal pregnancy, recurrent pregnancy loss, and gestational diabetes. J Reprod Immunol 2022; 150:103492. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jri.2022.103492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2021] [Revised: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 02/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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18
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Yamamoto M, Fukui A, Mai C, Saeki S, Takayama R, Wakimoto Y, Yamaya A, Kwak-Kim J, Shibahara H. Evaluation of NKp46 expression and cytokine production of decidual NK cells in women with recurrent pregnancy loss. Reprod Med Biol 2022; 21:e12478. [PMID: 35847412 PMCID: PMC9275167 DOI: 10.1002/rmb2.12478] [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: 09/30/2021] [Revised: 06/08/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose NKp46, a receptor on NK cells, is involved in cytotoxicity and cytokine production. The authors aimed to evaluate the effect of NKp46 on decidual NK (dNK) cells during pregnancy and whether it can be a marker for immunological abnormalities in women with recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL). Methods Flow‐cytometric analysis was made to assess NKp46 expression and intracellular cytokine production of dNK cells. The proportion of NKp46+ dNK cells was analyzed among RPL patients who aborted karyotypically normal pregnancies and those who either aborted karyotypically abnormal pregnancies or without genetic studies, and controls who were going through the induced abortion. Results The %NKp46+ and %NKp46bright dNK cells were significantly lower in the RPL women who aborted karyotypically normal pregnancies than in the control group. The %NKp46bright dNK cells were significantly correlated with the NK1/NK2 ratio of dNK cells. The %NKp46+ dNK cell cutoff for RPL with immunological abnormalities was determined by the ROC curve analysis. In women with the low %NKp46+ dNK, NK1/NK2 ratios were significantly higher than those with the high. Conclusion RPL patients with an immunological abnormality have decreased NKp46 expression and NK1 shift in dNK cells. NKp46 expression could be a marker for RPL of immunological abnormalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mayu Yamamoto
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine Hyogo Medical University Nishinomiya Japan
| | - Atsushi Fukui
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine Hyogo Medical University Nishinomiya Japan
| | - Chuxian Mai
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine Hyogo Medical University Nishinomiya Japan
| | - Shinichiro Saeki
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine Hyogo Medical University Nishinomiya Japan
| | - Ryu Takayama
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine Hyogo Medical University Nishinomiya Japan
| | - Yu Wakimoto
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine Hyogo Medical University Nishinomiya Japan
| | - Ayano Yamaya
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine Hyogo Medical University Nishinomiya Japan.,Clinical Sciences Department, Reproductive Medicine and Immunology, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Chicago Medical School Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science Vernon Hills IL USA
| | - Joanne Kwak-Kim
- Clinical Sciences Department, Reproductive Medicine and Immunology, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Chicago Medical School Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science Vernon Hills IL USA
| | - Hiroaki Shibahara
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine Hyogo Medical University Nishinomiya Japan
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19
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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: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [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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20
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Decreased Expression of Cytotoxic Proteins in Decidual CD8 + T Cells in Preeclampsia. BIOLOGY 2021; 10:biology10101037. [PMID: 34681139 PMCID: PMC8533461 DOI: 10.3390/biology10101037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2021] [Revised: 10/06/2021] [Accepted: 10/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary CD8+ T cells are prominent decidual cells in the third trimester of healthy human pregnancy. They have a cytotoxic capacity which may control invasion of extravillous trophoblast and therefore affect placentation and play the role in development of preeclampsia. In this study, we examined the expression of CD8+ T cells in decidual tissue and peripheral blood of women with severe and mild preeclampsia in comparison to gestational age-matched healthy pregnancies. Additionally, the expression of cytotoxic proteins in CD8+ T cells was examined in order to specify their subpopulations. Abstract In our study, we aimed to establish expression of cytotoxic CD8+ T cells in the decidua basalis and the maternal peripheral blood (mPBL) of severe and mild preeclampsia (PE) and compare to healthy pregnancies. Decidual tissue and mPBL of 10 women with mild PE, 10 women with severe PE, and 20 age-matched healthy pregnancy controls were analyzed by double immunofluorescence and qPCR, respectively. By double immunofluorescence staining, we found a decreased total number of cells/mm2 in decidua basalis of granulysin (GNLY)+ (p ˂ 0.0001), granzyme B (GzB)+(p ˂ 0.0001), GzB+CD8+(p ˂ 0.0001), perforin (PRF1)+ (p ˂ 0.0001), and PRF1+CD8+ (p ˂ 0.01) in the severe PE compared to control group. Additionally, we noticed the trend of lower mRNA expression for GNLY, granzyme A (GZMA), GzB, and PRF1 in CD8+ T cells of mPBL in mild and severe PE, with the latter marker statistically decreased in severe PE (p ˂ 0.001). Forkhead box P3 (FOXP3) mRNA in CD8+ T cells mPBL was increased in mild PE (p ˂ 0.001) compared to controls. In conclusion, severe PE is characterized by altered expression of cytotoxic CD8+ T cells in decidua and mPBL, suggesting their role in pathophysiology of PE and fetal-maternal immune tolerance.
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21
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Biology and pathology of the uterine microenvironment and its natural killer cells. Cell Mol Immunol 2021; 18:2101-2113. [PMID: 34426671 PMCID: PMC8429689 DOI: 10.1038/s41423-021-00739-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Tissues are the new frontier of discoveries in immunology. Cells of the immune system are an integral part of tissue physiology and immunity. Determining how immune cells inhabit, housekeep, and defend gut, lung, brain, liver, uterus, and other organs helps revealing the intimate details of tissue physiology and may offer new therapeutic targets to treat pathologies. The uterine microenvironment modulates the development and function of innate lymphoid cells [ILC, largely represented by natural killer (NK) cells], macrophages, T cells, and dendritic cells. These immune cells, in turn, contribute to tissue homeostasis. Regulated by ovarian hormones, the human uterine mucosa (endometrium) undergoes ~400 monthly cycles of breakdown and regeneration from menarche to menopause, with its fibroblasts, glands, blood vessels, and immune cells remodeling the tissue into the transient decidua. Even more transformative changes occur upon blastocyst implantation. Before the placenta is formed, the endometrial glands feed the embryo by histiotrophic nutrition while the uterine spiral arteries are stripped of their endothelial layer and smooth muscle actin. This arterial remodeling is carried out by invading fetal trophoblast and maternal immune cells, chiefly uterine NK (uNK) cells, which also assist fetal growth. The transformed arteries no longer respond to maternal stimuli and meet the increasing demands of the growing fetus. This review focuses on how the everchanging uterine microenvironment affects uNK cells and how uNK cells regulate homeostasis of the decidua, placenta development, and fetal growth. Determining these pathways will help understand the causes of major pregnancy complications.
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22
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ELF3 activated by a superenhancer and an autoregulatory feedback loop is required for high-level HLA-C expression on extravillous trophoblasts. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2025512118. [PMID: 33622787 PMCID: PMC7936349 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2025512118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
HLA-C arose during evolution of pregnancy in the great apes 10 to 15 million years ago. It has a dual function on placental extravillous trophoblasts (EVTs) as it contributes to both tolerance and immunity at the maternal-fetal interface. The mode of its regulation is of considerable interest in connection with the biology of pregnancy and pregnancy abnormalities. First-trimester primary EVTs in which HLA-C is highly expressed, as well as JEG3, an EVT model cell line, were employed. Single-cell RNA-seq data and quantitative PCR identified high expression of the transcription factor ELF3 in those cells. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP)-PCR confirmed that both ELF3 and MED1 bound to the proximal HLA-C promoter region. However, binding of RFX5 to this region was absent or severely reduced, and the adjacent HLA-B locus remained closed. Expression of HLA-C was inhibited by ELF3 small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) and by wrenchnolol treatment. Wrenchnolol is a cell-permeable synthetic organic molecule that mimics ELF3 and is relatively specific for binding to ELF3's coactivator, MED23, as our data also showed in JEG3. Moreover, the ELF3 gene is regulated by a superenhancer that spans more than 5 Mb, identified by assay for transposase-accessible chromatin using sequencing (ATAC-seq), as well as by its sensitivity to (+)-JQ1 (inhibitor of BRD4). ELF3 bound to its own promoter, thus creating an autoregulatory feedback loop that establishes expression of ELF3 and HLA-C in trophoblasts. Wrenchnolol blocked binding of MED23 to ELF3, thus disrupting the positive-feedback loop that drives ELF3 expression, with down-regulation of HLA-C expression as a consequence.
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23
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Taylor EB, George EM, Ryan MJ, Garrett MR, Sasser JM. Immunological comparison of pregnant Dahl salt-sensitive and Sprague-Dawley rats commonly used to model characteristics of preeclampsia. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 2021; 321:R125-R138. [PMID: 34105357 PMCID: PMC8409910 DOI: 10.1152/ajpregu.00298.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2020] [Revised: 06/04/2021] [Accepted: 06/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
The pregnant Dahl salt-sensitive (S) rat is an established preclinical model of superimposed spontaneous preeclampsia characterized by exacerbated hypertension, increased urinary protein excretion, and increased fetal demise. Because of the underlying immune system dysfunction present in preeclamptic pregnancies in humans, we hypothesized that the pregnant Dahl S rat would also have an altered immune status. Immune system activation was assessed during late pregnancy in the Dahl S model and compared with healthy pregnant Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats subjected to either a sham procedure or a procedure to reduce uterine perfusion pressure (RUPP). Circulating immunoglobulin and cytokine levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and Milliplex bead assay, respectively, and percentages of circulating, splenic, and placental immune cells were determined using flow cytometry. The pregnant Dahl S rat exhibited an increase in CD4+ T cells, and specifically TNFα+CD4+ T cells, in the spleen compared with virgin Dahl S rats. The Dahl also had increased neutrophils and decreased B cells in the peripheral blood as compared with Dahl virgin rats. SD rats that received the RUPP procedure had increases in circulating monocytes and increased IFN-ɣ+CD4+ splenic T cells. Together these findings suggest that dysregulated T cell activity is an important factor in both the pregnant Dahl S rats and SD rats after the RUPP procedure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin B Taylor
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi
| | - Eric M George
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi
| | - Michael J Ryan
- University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, South Carolina
- Columbia Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Columbia, South Carolina
| | - Michael R Garrett
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi
- Department of Medicine, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi
| | - Jennifer M Sasser
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi
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24
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Kandasamy K, Tan LG, B Johana N, Tan YW, Foo W, Yeo JSL, Ravikumar V, Ginhoux F, Choolani M, Chan JKY, Mattar CNZ. Maternal microchimerism and cell-mediated immune-modulation enhance engraftment following semi-allogenic intrauterine transplantation. FASEB J 2021; 35:e21413. [PMID: 33570785 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202002185rr] [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: 10/06/2020] [Revised: 01/04/2021] [Accepted: 01/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Successful intrauterine hematopoietic cell transplantation (IUT) for congenital hemoglobinopathies is hampered by maternal alloresponsiveness. We investigate these interactions in semi-allogenic murine IUT. E14 fetuses (B6 females × BALB/c males) were each treated with 5E+6 maternal (B6) or paternal (BALB/c) bone marrow cells and serially monitored for chimerism (>1% engraftment), trafficked maternal immune cells, and immune responsiveness to donor cells. A total of 41.0% of maternal IUT recipients (mIUT) were chimeras (mean donor chimerism 3.0 ± 1.3%) versus 75.0% of paternal IUT recipients (pIUT, 3.6 ± 1.1%). Chimeras showed higher maternal microchimerism of CD4, CD8, and CD19 than non-chimeras. These maternal cells showed minimal responsiveness to B6 or BALB/c stimulation. To interrogate tolerance, mIUT were injected postnatally with 5E+6 B6 cells/pup; pIUT received BALB/c cells. IUT-treated pups showed no changes in trafficked maternal or fetal immune cell levels compared to controls. Donor-specific IgM and IgG were expressed by 1%-3% of recipients. mIUT splenocytes showed greater proliferation of regulatory T cells (Treg) upon BALB/c stimulation, while B6 stimulation upregulated the pro-inflammatory cytokines more than BALB/c. pIUT splenocytes produced identical Treg and cytokine responses to BALB/c and B6 cells, with higher Treg activity and lower pro-inflammatory cytokine expression upon exposure to BALB/c. In contrast, naïve fetal splenocytes demonstrated greater alloresponsiveness to BALB/c compared to B6 cells. Thus pIUT, associated with increased maternal cell trafficking, modulates fetal Treg, and cytokine responsiveness to donor cells more efficiently than mIUT, resulting in improved engraftment. Paternal donor cells may be considered alternatively to maternal donor cells for intrauterine and postnatal transplantation to induce tolerance and maintain engraftment.
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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, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Lay Geok Tan
- Experimental Fetal Medicine Group, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, National University Hospital, National University Health System, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Nuryanti B Johana
- Reproductive Medicine, KK Women's and Children's Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Yi Wan Tan
- Reproductive Medicine, KK Women's and Children's Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Wanling Foo
- Experimental Fetal Medicine Group, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Julie S L Yeo
- Reproductive Medicine, KK Women's and Children's Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Vikashini Ravikumar
- Experimental Fetal Medicine Group, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Florent Ginhoux
- Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore
| | - Mahesh Choolani
- Experimental Fetal Medicine Group, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, National University Hospital, National University Health System, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Jerry K Y Chan
- Reproductive Medicine, KK Women's and Children's Hospital, Singapore, Singapore.,Cancer and Stem Cell Biology Program, Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School, 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, Singapore, Singapore.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, National University Hospital, National University Health System, Singapore, Singapore
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25
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Huhn O, Zhao X, Esposito L, Moffett A, Colucci F, Sharkey AM. How Do Uterine Natural Killer and Innate Lymphoid Cells Contribute to Successful Pregnancy? Front Immunol 2021; 12:607669. [PMID: 34234770 PMCID: PMC8256162 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.607669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2020] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) are the most abundant immune cells in the uterine mucosa both before and during pregnancy. Circumstantial evidence suggests they play important roles in regulating placental development but exactly how they contribute to the successful outcome of pregnancy is still unclear. Uterine ILCs (uILCs) include subsets of tissue-resident natural killer (NK) cells and ILCs, and until recently the phenotype and functions of uILCs were poorly defined. Determining the specific roles of each subset is intrinsically challenging because of the rapidly changing nature of the tissue both during the menstrual cycle and pregnancy. Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNAseq) and high dimensional flow and mass cytometry approaches have recently been used to analyse uILC populations in the uterus in both humans and mice. This detailed characterisation has significantly changed our understanding of the heterogeneity within the uILC compartment. It will also enable key clinical questions to be addressed including whether specific uILC subsets are altered in infertility, miscarriage and pregnancy disorders such as foetal growth restriction and pre-eclampsia. Here, we summarise recent advances in our understanding of the phenotypic and functional diversity of uILCs in non-pregnant endometrium and first trimester decidua, and review how these cells may contribute to successful placental development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oisín Huhn
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, National Institute for Health Research Cambridge, Biomedical Research Centre, University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Centre for Trophoblast Research, Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Xiaohui Zhao
- Centre for Trophoblast Research, Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Laura Esposito
- Centre for Trophoblast Research, Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Ashley Moffett
- Centre for Trophoblast Research, Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Francesco Colucci
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, National Institute for Health Research Cambridge, Biomedical Research Centre, University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Centre for Trophoblast Research, Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew M. Sharkey
- Centre for Trophoblast Research, Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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26
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Kinder JM, Turner LH, Stelzer IA, Miller-Handley H, Burg A, Shao TY, Pham G, Way SS. CD8 + T Cell Functional Exhaustion Overrides Pregnancy-Induced Fetal Antigen Alloimmunization. Cell Rep 2021; 31:107784. [PMID: 32579916 PMCID: PMC7383938 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.107784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2020] [Revised: 04/10/2020] [Accepted: 05/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Pregnancy necessitates physiological exposure, and often re-exposure, to foreign fetal alloantigens. The consequences after pregnancy are highly varied, with evidence of both alloimmunization and expanded tolerance phenotypes. We show that pregnancy primes the accumulation of fetal-specific maternal CD8+ T cells and their persistence as an activated memory pool after parturition. Cytolysis and the potential for robust secondary expansion occurs with antigen re-encounter in non-reproductive contexts. Comparatively, CDS+ T cell functional exhaustion associated with increased PD-1 and LAG-3 expression occurs with fetal antigen re-stimulation during subsequent pregnancy. PD-L1/LAG-3 neutralization unleashes the activation of fetal-specific CD8+ T cells, causing fetal wastage selectively during secondary but not primary pregnancy. Thus, CD8+ T cells with fetal alloantigen specificity persist in mothers after pregnancy, and protection against fetal wastage in subsequent pregnancies is maintained by their unique susceptibility to functional exhaustion. Together, distinct mechanisms whereby fetal tolerance is maintained during primary compared with subsequent pregnancies are demonstrated. Expecting mothers are immunologically aware of, but do not reject, genetically foreign tissues of the developing fetus. Comparing tolerance occuring during first and subsequent pregnancies, Kinder et al. show that activated memory CD8+ T cells primed by prior pregnancy are uniquely prone to functional exhaustion with fetal antigen re-stimulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy M Kinder
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Center for Inflammation and Tolerance, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA.
| | - Lucien H Turner
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Center for Inflammation and Tolerance, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Ina A Stelzer
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Center for Inflammation and Tolerance, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Hilary Miller-Handley
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Center for Inflammation and Tolerance, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Ashley Burg
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Center for Inflammation and Tolerance, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Tzu-Yu Shao
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Center for Inflammation and Tolerance, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA; Immunology Graduate Program, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Giang Pham
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Center for Inflammation and Tolerance, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Sing Sing Way
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Center for Inflammation and Tolerance, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA.
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27
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Ikumi NM, Pillay K, Tilburgs T, Malaba TR, Dzanibe S, Enninga EAL, Chakraborty R, Lamorde M, Myer L, Khoo S, Jaspan HB, Gray CM. T cell Homeostatic Imbalance in Placentae from Women with HIV in the absence of Vertical Transmission. J Infect Dis 2021; 224:S670-S682. [PMID: 33880544 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiab192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Implementation of universal antiretroviral therapy (ART) has significantly lowered vertical transmission rates but has also increased numbers of HIV-exposed uninfected children (HEU), who remain vulnerable to morbidities. Here, we investigated whether T cell alterations in the placenta contribute to altered immune status in HEU. METHODS We analyzed T cells from term placentae decidua and villous tissue and paired cord blood from pregnant women with HIV (PWH) who initiated ART late in pregnancy (n=21) with pregnant women not living with HIV (PWNH) (n=9). RESULTS Placentae from PWH showed inverted CD4:CD8 ratios and higher proportions of tissue resident CD8+ T cells in villous tissue relative to control placentae. CD8+ T cells in the fetal capillaries, which were of fetal origin, positively correlated with maternal plasma viraemia prior to ART initiation, implying that imbalanced T cells persisted throughout pregnancy. Additionally, the expanded memory differentiation of CD8+ T cells was confined to the fetal placental compartment and cord blood but was not observed in the maternal decidua. CONCLUSIONS T cell homeostatic imbalance in the blood circulation of PWH is reflected in the placenta. The placenta may be a causal link between HIV-induced maternal immune changes during gestation and altered immunity in newborn infants in the absence of vertical transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadia M Ikumi
- Division of Immunology, Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Komala Pillay
- National Health Laboratory Services, Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa.,Division of Anatomical Pathology, Department of Pathology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Tamara Tilburgs
- Division of Immunobiology, Center for Inflammation and Tolerance, Cincinnati Children's Hospital, Cincinnati OH 45229, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati OH 45229, USA
| | - Thokozile R Malaba
- Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Sonwabile Dzanibe
- Division of Immunology, Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, South Africa
| | | | - Rana Chakraborty
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN.,Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Minnesota, USA.,Department of Immunology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
| | - Mohammed Lamorde
- Infectious Diseases Institute, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Landon Myer
- Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Saye Khoo
- Molecular and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.,Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS Trust, Liverpool, UK
| | - Heather B Jaspan
- Division of Immunology, Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Clive M Gray
- Division of Immunology, Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, South Africa.,National Health Laboratory Services, Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa.,Department of Pathology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
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28
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Xu L, Li Y, Sang Y, Li DJ, Du M. Crosstalk Between Trophoblasts and Decidual Immune Cells: The Cornerstone of Maternal-Fetal Immunotolerance. Front Immunol 2021; 12:642392. [PMID: 33717198 PMCID: PMC7947923 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.642392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2020] [Accepted: 02/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The success of pregnancy relies on the fine adjustment of the maternal immune system to tolerate the allogeneic fetus. Trophoblasts carrying paternal antigens are the only fetal-derived cells that come into direct contact with the maternal immune cells at the maternal–fetal interface. The crosstalk between trophoblasts and decidual immune cells (DICs) via cell–cell direct interaction and soluble factors such as chemokines and cytokines is a core event contributing to the unique immunotolerant microenvironment. Abnormal trophoblasts–DICs crosstalk can lead to dysregulated immune situations, which is well known to be a potential cause of a series of pregnancy complications including recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA), which is the most common one. Immunotherapy has been applied to RSA. However, its development has been far less rapid or mature than that of cancer immunotherapy. Elucidating the mechanism of maternal–fetal immune tolerance, the theoretical basis for RSA immunotherapy, not only helps to understand the establishment and maintenance of normal pregnancy but also provides new therapeutic strategies and promotes the progress of immunotherapy against pregnancy-related diseases caused by disrupted immunotolerance. In this review, we focus on recent progress in the maternal–fetal immune tolerance mediated by trophoblasts–DICs crosstalk and clinical application of immunotherapy in RSA. Advancement in this area will further accelerate the basic research and clinical transformation of reproductive immunity and tumor immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ling Xu
- Laboratory for Reproductive Immunology, NHC Key Lab of Reproduction Regulation (Shanghai Institute of Planned Parenthood Research), Shanghai Key Laboratory of Female Reproductive Endocrine Related Diseases, Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Fudan University Shanghai Medical College, Shanghai, China
| | - Yanhong Li
- Laboratory for Reproductive Immunology, NHC Key Lab of Reproduction Regulation (Shanghai Institute of Planned Parenthood Research), Shanghai Key Laboratory of Female Reproductive Endocrine Related Diseases, Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Fudan University Shanghai Medical College, Shanghai, China
| | - Yifei Sang
- Laboratory for Reproductive Immunology, NHC Key Lab of Reproduction Regulation (Shanghai Institute of Planned Parenthood Research), Shanghai Key Laboratory of Female Reproductive Endocrine Related Diseases, Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Fudan University Shanghai Medical College, Shanghai, China
| | - Da-Jin Li
- Laboratory for Reproductive Immunology, NHC Key Lab of Reproduction Regulation (Shanghai Institute of Planned Parenthood Research), Shanghai Key Laboratory of Female Reproductive Endocrine Related Diseases, Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Fudan University Shanghai Medical College, Shanghai, China
| | - Meirong Du
- Laboratory for Reproductive Immunology, NHC Key Lab of Reproduction Regulation (Shanghai Institute of Planned Parenthood Research), Shanghai Key Laboratory of Female Reproductive Endocrine Related Diseases, Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Fudan University Shanghai Medical College, Shanghai, China.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Guangzhou First People's Hospital, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
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29
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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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30
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Njue A, Coyne C, Margulis AV, Wang D, Marks MA, Russell K, Das R, Sinha A. The Role of Congenital Cytomegalovirus Infection in Adverse Birth Outcomes: A Review of the Potential Mechanisms. Viruses 2020; 13:v13010020. [PMID: 33374185 PMCID: PMC7823935 DOI: 10.3390/v13010020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2020] [Revised: 12/14/2020] [Accepted: 12/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Human cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a major cause of nonhereditary adverse birth outcomes, including hearing and visual loss, neurologic deficits, and intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR), and may contribute to outcomes such as stillbirth and preterm delivery. However, the mechanisms by which CMV could cause adverse birth outcomes are not fully understood. This study reviewed proposed mechanisms underlying the role of CMV in stillbirth, preterm birth, and IUGR. Targeted literature searches were performed in PubMed and Embase to identify relevant articles. Several potential mechanisms were identified from in vitro studies in which laboratory-adapted and low-passage strains of CMV and various human placental models were used. Potential mechanisms identified included impairment of trophoblast progenitor stem cell differentiation and function, impairment of extravillous trophoblast invasiveness, dysregulation of Wnt signaling pathways in cytotrophoblasts, tumor necrosis factor-α mediated apoptosis of trophoblasts, CMV-induced cytokine changes in the placenta, inhibition of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase activity, and downregulation of trophoblast class I major histocompatibility complex molecules. Inherent challenges for the field remain in the identification of suitable in vivo animal models. Nonetheless, we believe that our review provides useful insights into the mechanisms by which CMV impairs placental development and function and how these changes could result in adverse birth outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annete Njue
- RTI Health Solutions, Manchester M20 2LS, UK
- Correspondence:
| | - Carolyn Coyne
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA;
| | | | - Dai Wang
- Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ 07033, USA; (D.W.); (M.A.M.); (K.R.); (R.D.); (A.S.)
| | - Morgan A. Marks
- Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ 07033, USA; (D.W.); (M.A.M.); (K.R.); (R.D.); (A.S.)
| | - Kevin Russell
- Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ 07033, USA; (D.W.); (M.A.M.); (K.R.); (R.D.); (A.S.)
| | - Rituparna Das
- Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ 07033, USA; (D.W.); (M.A.M.); (K.R.); (R.D.); (A.S.)
| | - Anushua Sinha
- Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ 07033, USA; (D.W.); (M.A.M.); (K.R.); (R.D.); (A.S.)
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31
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DeJong CS, Maurice NJ, McCartney SA, Prlic M. Human Tissue-Resident Memory T Cells in the Maternal-Fetal Interface. Lost Soldiers or Special Forces? Cells 2020; 9:cells9122699. [PMID: 33339211 PMCID: PMC7765601 DOI: 10.3390/cells9122699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2020] [Revised: 12/11/2020] [Accepted: 12/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The immune system plays a critical role during pregnancy, but the specific mechanisms and immune cell function needed to support pregnancy remain incompletely understood. Despite decades of research efforts, it is still unclear how the immune system maintains tolerance of fetal-derived tissues, which include most cells of the placenta and of course the fetus itself, without forfeiting the ability to protect against harmful infections. T cells recognize antigen in the context of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) encoded proteins, but classical MHC class I and II expression are diminished in fetal-derived cells. Can T cells present at the maternal–fetal interface (MFI) protect these cells from infection? Here we review what is known in regard to tissue-resident memory T (Trm) cells at the MFI. We mainly focus on how Trm cells can contribute to protection in the context of the unique features of the MFI, such as limited MHC expression as well as the temporary nature of the MFI, that are not found in other tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin S. DeJong
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA; (C.S.D.); (N.J.M.)
| | - Nicholas J. Maurice
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA; (C.S.D.); (N.J.M.)
- Molecular and Cellular Biology Graduate Program, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Stephen A. McCartney
- Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA;
| | - Martin Prlic
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA; (C.S.D.); (N.J.M.)
- Department of Immunology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
- Correspondence:
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32
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van der Zwan A, van Unen V, Beyrend G, Laban S, van der Keur C, Kapsenberg HJM, Höllt T, Chuva de Sousa Lopes SM, van der Hoorn MLP, Koning F, Claas FHJ, Eikmans M, Heidt S. Visualizing Dynamic Changes at the Maternal-Fetal Interface Throughout Human Pregnancy by Mass Cytometry. Front Immunol 2020; 11:571300. [PMID: 33193353 PMCID: PMC7649376 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.571300] [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: 06/12/2020] [Accepted: 09/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
During healthy pregnancy, a balanced microenvironment at the maternal-fetal interface with coordinated interaction between various immune cells is necessary to maintain immunological tolerance. While specific decidual immune cell subsets have been investigated, a system-wide unbiased approach is lacking. Here, mass cytometry was applied for data-driven, in-depth immune profiling of the total leukocyte population isolated from first, second, and third trimester decidua, as well as maternal peripheral blood at time of delivery. The maternal-fetal interface showed a unique composition of immune cells, different from peripheral blood, with significant differences between early and term pregnancy samples. Profiling revealed substantial heterogeneity in the decidual lymphoid and myeloid cell lineages that shape gestational-specific immune networks and putative differentiation trajectories over time during gestation. Uncovering the overall complexity at the maternal-fetal interface throughout pregnancy resulted in a human atlas that may serve as a foundation upon which comprehension of the immune microenvironment and alterations thereof in pregnancy complications can be built.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anita van der Zwan
- Department of Immunology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Vincent van Unen
- Department of Immunology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands.,Institute for Immunity, Transplantation and Infection, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Guillaume Beyrend
- Department of Immunology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Sandra Laban
- Department of Immunology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Carin van der Keur
- Department of Immunology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | | | - Thomas Höllt
- Leiden Computational Biology Center, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands.,Computer Graphics and Visualization Group, Delft University of Technology, Delft, Netherlands
| | | | | | - Frits Koning
- Department of Immunology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Frans H J Claas
- Department of Immunology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Michael Eikmans
- Department of Immunology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Sebastiaan Heidt
- Department of Immunology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
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33
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Parker EL, Silverstein RB, Verma S, Mysorekar IU. Viral-Immune Cell Interactions at the Maternal-Fetal Interface in Human Pregnancy. Front Immunol 2020; 11:522047. [PMID: 33117336 PMCID: PMC7576479 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.522047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2019] [Accepted: 09/14/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The human decidua and placenta form a distinct environment distinguished for its promotion of immunotolerance to infiltrating semiallogeneic trophoblast cells to enable successful pregnancy. The maternal-fetal interface also successfully precludes transmission of most pathogens. This barrier function occurs in conjunction with a diverse influx of decidual immune cells including natural killer cells, macrophages and T cells. However, several viruses, among other microorganisms, manage to escape destruction by the host adaptive and innate immune system, leading to congenital infection and adverse pregnancy outcomes. In this review, we describe mechanisms of pathogenicity of two such viral pathogens, Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) and Zika virus (ZIKV) at the maternal-fetal interface. Host decidual immune cell responses to these specific pathogens will be considered, along with their interactions with other cell types and the ways in which these immune cells may both facilitate and limit infection at different stages of pregnancy. Neither HCMV nor ZIKV naturally infect commonly used animal models [e.g., mice] which makes it challenging to understand disease pathogenesis. Here, we will highlight new approaches using placenta-on-a-chip and organoids models that are providing functional and physiologically relevant ways to study viral-host interaction at the maternal-fetal interface.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elaine L. Parker
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Rachel B. Silverstein
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Sonam Verma
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Indira U. Mysorekar
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
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34
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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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35
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Dang D, Wang L, Zhang C, Li Z, Wu H. Potential effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy on fetuses and newborns are worthy of attention. J Obstet Gynaecol Res 2020; 46:1951-1957. [PMID: 32779309 PMCID: PMC7436741 DOI: 10.1111/jog.14406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2020] [Accepted: 07/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The outbreak of the 2019 novel coronavirus disease (SARS‐CoV‐2) has resulted in a major epidemic threat worldwide. However, the effects of neoviruses on infected pregnant women and especially on their fetuses and newborns are not well understood. Most up‐to‐date evidences about how SARS‐CoV‐2 affected patients especially in pregnancy were collected by conducting a comprehensive search of medical literature electronic databases. Immune‐related data of pregnant women, fetuses and newborns were further analysis. According to the limited literature, SARS‐CoV‐2 utilizes angiotensin converting enzyme 2 as its receptor and causes severe hypoxemia. Insufficiency of angiotensin converting enzyme 2 in pregnant women and the effects of hypoxia on the placental oxygen supply will cause severe perinatal complications. In addition, SARS‐CoV‐2 infection may disrupt maternal‐fetal immune tolerance and cause immunological damage to embryos. Because of these reasons, pregnancy complications such as fetal demise or premature birth, preeclampsia, intrauterine growth restriction, respiratory dyspnea, nervous system dysplasia and immune system defects are likely to occur in pregnant women with COVID‐19 or their newborns. Pregnant women infected with SARS‐CoV‐2 should be treated as a special group and given special attention. Fetuses and newborns of SARS‐CoV‐2‐infected pregnant women should be given more protection to reduce the occurrence of adverse events. In this review, we intend to provide an overview of the physiological and immunological changes that induce the pregnancy complications. This article will benefit the treatment and prognosis of fetuses and newborns of SARS‐CoV‐2‐infected pregnant women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Dang
- Department of Neonatology, First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Liying Wang
- Department of Molecular Biology, College of Basic Medicine, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Chuan Zhang
- Department of Paediatric Surgery, First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Zhenyu Li
- Department of Neonatology, First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Hui Wu
- Department of Neonatology, First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
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36
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Arens R, Scheeren FA. Genetic Screening for Novel Regulators of Immune Checkpoint Molecules. Trends Immunol 2020; 41:692-705. [PMID: 32605801 DOI: 10.1016/j.it.2020.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2019] [Revised: 06/11/2020] [Accepted: 06/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Inhibitory and stimulatory immune checkpoint molecules play important roles in regulating immune responses. An increasing number of these immune regulators are currently being evaluated as targets in putative anti-cancer therapies. Recently, sophisticated genetic screens have been performed to increase our understanding of immune checkpoint pathways and their immunomodulatory regulators. Here, we summarize novel insights obtained by these screens and discuss new directions to advance possible strategies to treat malignancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramon Arens
- Department of Immunohematology and Blood Transfusion, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Ferenc A Scheeren
- Department of Medical Oncology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands.
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37
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Krop J, Heidt S, Claas FHJ, Eikmans M. Regulatory T Cells in Pregnancy: It Is Not All About FoxP3. Front Immunol 2020; 11:1182. [PMID: 32655556 PMCID: PMC7324675 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.01182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2020] [Accepted: 05/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
In pregnancy, the semi-allogeneic fetus needs to be tolerated by the mother's immune system. Regulatory T cells (Tregs) play a prominent role in this process. Novel technologies allow for in-depth phenotyping of previously unidentified immune cell subsets, which has resulted in the appreciation of a vast heterogeneity of Treg subsets. Similar to other immunological events, there appears to be great diversity within the Treg population during pregnancy, both at the maternal-fetal interface as in the peripheral blood. Different Treg subsets have distinct phenotypes and various ways of functioning. Furthermore, the frequency of individual Treg subsets varies throughout gestation and is altered in aberrant pregnancies. This suggests that distinct Treg subsets play a role at different time points of gestation and that their role in maintaining healthy pregnancy is crucial, as reflected for instance by their reduced frequency in women with recurrent pregnancy loss. Since pregnancy is essential for the existence of mankind, multiple immune regulatory mechanisms and cell types are likely at play to assure successful pregnancy. Therefore, it is important to understand the complete microenvironment of the decidua, preferably in the context of the whole immune cell repertoire of the pregnant woman. So far, most studies have focused on a single mechanism or cell type, which often is the FoxP3 positive regulatory T cell when studying immune regulation. In this review, we instead focus on the contribution of FoxP3 negative Treg subsets to the decidual microenvironment and their possible role in pregnancy complications. Their phenotype, function, and effect in pregnancy are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliette Krop
- Department of Immunohematology and Blood Transfusion, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Sebastiaan Heidt
- Department of Immunohematology and Blood Transfusion, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Frans H J Claas
- Department of Immunohematology and Blood Transfusion, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Michael Eikmans
- Department of Immunohematology and Blood Transfusion, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
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38
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Abstract
Pregnancy is a natural process that poses an immunological challenge because non-self fetus must be accepted. During the pregnancy period, the fetus as 'allograft' inherits maternal and also paternal antigens. For successful and term pregnancy, the fetus is tolerated and nurtured enjoying immune privileges that minimize the risk of being rejected by maternal immune system. Multiple mechanisms contribute to tolerate the semi-allogeneic fetus. Here, we summarize the recent progresses on how the maternal immune system actively collaborates to maintain the immune balance and maternal-fetal tolerance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaopeng Li
- Key Laboratory for Major Obstetric Diseases of Guangdong Province, the Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.,Guangdong Engineering and Technology Research Center of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.,CAS Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jiayi Zhou
- Key Laboratory for Major Obstetric Diseases of Guangdong Province, the Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.,Guangdong Engineering and Technology Research Center of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Min Fang
- Key Laboratory for Major Obstetric Diseases of Guangdong Province, the Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.,CAS Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,International College, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Bolan Yu
- Key Laboratory for Major Obstetric Diseases of Guangdong Province, the Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.,Guangdong Engineering and Technology Research Center of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
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39
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Morita K, Tsuda S, Kobayashi E, Hamana H, Tsuda K, Shima T, Nakashima A, Ushijima A, Kishi H, Saito S. Analysis of TCR Repertoire and PD-1 Expression in Decidual and Peripheral CD8 + T Cells Reveals Distinct Immune Mechanisms in Miscarriage and Preeclampsia. Front Immunol 2020; 11:1082. [PMID: 32582176 PMCID: PMC7283903 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.01082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2020] [Accepted: 05/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
CD8+ T cells, the most abundant T cell subset in the decidua, play a critical role in the maintenance of pregnancy. The majority of decidual CD8+ T cells have an effector memory phenotype, while those in the peripheral blood display a naive phenotype. An increased amount of highly differentiated CD8+ T cells in the decidua indicates local antigen stimulation and expansion, albeit these CD8+ T cells are suppressed. In decidual CD8+ T cells, co-inhibitory molecules such as PD-1, TIM-3, LAG-3, and CTLA-4 are upregulated, reflecting the suppression of cytotoxicity. Previous studies established the importance of the PD-1/PD-L1 interaction for feto-maternal tolerance. CD8+ T cells could directly recognize fetal-specific antigens, such as HLA-C, expressed by trophoblasts. However, although fetal-specific CD8+ T cells have been reported, their TCR repertoires have not been identified. In this study, we analyzed the TCR repertoires of effector memory CD8+ T cells (CD8+ EM cells) and naive CD8+ T cells (CD8+ N cells) in the decidua and peripheral blood of women with normal or complicated pregnancy and examined PD-1 expression at a single-cell level to verify whether antigen-specific CD8+ T cells accumulate in the decidua and to identify immunological differences related to the suppression of antigen-specific CD8+ T cells between normal pregnancy, miscarriage, and preeclampsia. We observed that some TCRβ repertoires, which might recognize fetal or placental antigens, were clonally expanded. The population size of clonally expanded CD8+ EM cells was higher in the decidua than in the peripheral blood. CD8+ EM cells began to express PD-1 during the course of normal pregnancy. We found that the total proportion of decidual CD8+ EM cells not expressing PD-1 was increased both in miscarriage and in preeclampsia cases, although a different mechanism was responsible for this increase. The amount of cytotoxic CD8+ EM cells increased in cases of miscarriage, whereas the expression of PD-1 in clonally expanded CD8+ EM cells was downregulated in preeclampsia cases. These results demonstrated that decidual CD8+ EM cells were able to recognize fetal-specific antigens at the feto-maternal interface and could easily induce fetal rejection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keiko Morita
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
| | - Sayaka Tsuda
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
| | - Eiji Kobayashi
- Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Academic Assembly, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Hamana
- Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Academic Assembly, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
| | - Kei Tsuda
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
| | - Tomoko Shima
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
| | - Akitoshi Nakashima
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
| | - Akemi Ushijima
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Kishi
- Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Academic Assembly, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
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40
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Huang X, Liu L, Xu C, Peng X, Li D, Wang L, Du M. Tissue-resident CD8 + T memory cells with unique properties are present in human decidua during early pregnancy. Am J Reprod Immunol 2020; 84:e13254. [PMID: 32329123 DOI: 10.1111/aji.13254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2020] [Revised: 04/13/2020] [Accepted: 04/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
PROBLEM Resident memory T (TRM ) cells reside in the uterus during pregnancy may play an important role in balancing maternal-fetal tolerance with anti-infectious immunity. Although CD8+ TRM and decidual CD8+ T cells have been extensively characterized, the properties of decidual CD8+ TRM (dTRM ) cells remain poorly defined. METHOD OF STUDY We investigated the heterogeneity, phenotypes, and functions of dTRM cells, and compared the proportion of dTRM cells between normal pregnancy and recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA) using flow cytometry. Moreover, we cocultured peripheral CD8+ T (CD8+ pT) cells with trophoblast, or decidual stomal cells (DSCs) in the presence or absence of anti-TGF-β antibody or TGF-β type I receptor inhibitor to explore the effects of maternal-fetal environment on decidual CD8+ TRM cell formation. RESULTS We found that CD69+ CD103+ TRM cells were abundant in CD8+ dT cells but not in CD4+ dT cells with effector-memory (EM, CD45RA- CCR7- ) phenotypes. The percentage of dTRM cells from RSA patients was significantly higher than that from normal pregnancy. Furthermore, dTRM cells showed increased expressions of chemokine receptors, T-cell exhaustion-related molecules, and produced more anti-inflammatory cytokines and effector cytokines upon stimulation. Moreover, DSCs produced a considerable level of TGF-β and upregulated CD103 expression on CD69+ CD8+ pT cells, which can be significantly reversed by blocking TGF-β receptor. CONCLUSION Our findings demonstrate that TRM cells with unique properties are present in the decidua during human early pregnancy. They possess an enhanced capacity to produce effector cytokines and regulatory molecules, which might be important in the balance between maternal-fetal immune tolerance and the capacity to aggressively respond to infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xixi Huang
- Laboratory for Reproductive Immunology, NHC Key Lab of Reproduction Regulation (Shanghai Institute of Planned Parenthood Research), Shanghai Key Laboratory of Female Reproductive Endocrine Related Diseases, Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Fudan University Shanghai Medical College, Shanghai, China
| | - Lu Liu
- Laboratory for Reproductive Immunology, NHC Key Lab of Reproduction Regulation (Shanghai Institute of Planned Parenthood Research), Shanghai Key Laboratory of Female Reproductive Endocrine Related Diseases, Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Fudan University Shanghai Medical College, Shanghai, China
| | - Chunfang Xu
- Laboratory for Reproductive Immunology, NHC Key Lab of Reproduction Regulation (Shanghai Institute of Planned Parenthood Research), Shanghai Key Laboratory of Female Reproductive Endocrine Related Diseases, Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Fudan University Shanghai Medical College, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiandong Peng
- Shanghai Jiai Genetics & IVF Institute, Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Fudan University Shanghai Medical College, Shanghai, China
| | - Dajin Li
- Laboratory for Reproductive Immunology, NHC Key Lab of Reproduction Regulation (Shanghai Institute of Planned Parenthood Research), Shanghai Key Laboratory of Female Reproductive Endocrine Related Diseases, Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Fudan University Shanghai Medical College, Shanghai, China
| | - Li Wang
- Laboratory for Reproductive Immunology, NHC Key Lab of Reproduction Regulation (Shanghai Institute of Planned Parenthood Research), Shanghai Key Laboratory of Female Reproductive Endocrine Related Diseases, Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Fudan University Shanghai Medical College, Shanghai, China
| | - Meirong Du
- Laboratory for Reproductive Immunology, NHC Key Lab of Reproduction Regulation (Shanghai Institute of Planned Parenthood Research), Shanghai Key Laboratory of Female Reproductive Endocrine Related Diseases, Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Fudan University Shanghai Medical College, Shanghai, China.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, Guangzhou First People's Hospital, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
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41
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de Mendonça Vieira R, Meagher A, Crespo ÂC, Kshirsagar SK, Iyer V, Norwitz ER, Strominger JL, Tilburgs T. Human Term Pregnancy Decidual NK Cells Generate Distinct Cytotoxic Responses. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2020; 204:3149-3159. [PMID: 32376646 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1901435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2019] [Accepted: 04/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Decidual NK cells (dNK) are the main lymphocyte population in early pregnancy decidual mucosa. Although dNK decrease during pregnancy, they remain present in decidual tissues at term. First trimester dNK facilitate trophoblast invasion, provide protection against infections, and were shown to have many differences in their expression of NKRs, cytokines, and cytolytic capacity compared with peripheral blood NK cells (pNK). However, only limited data are available on the phenotype and function of term pregnancy dNK. In this study, dNK from human term pregnancy decidua basalis and decidua parietalis tissues were compared with pNK and first trimester dNK. Profound differences were found, including: 1) term pregnancy dNK have an increased degranulation response to K562 and PMA/ionomycin but lower capacity to respond to human CMV-infected cells; 2) term pregnancy dNK are not skewed toward recognition of HLA-C, as was previously shown for first trimester dNK; and 3) protein and gene expression profiles identified multiple differences between pNK, first trimester, and term pregnancy dNK, suggesting term pregnancy dNK are a distinct type of NK cells. Understanding the role of dNK throughout pregnancy is of high clinical relevance for studies aiming to prevent placental inflammatory disorders as well as maternal-to-fetal transmission of pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ava Meagher
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138
| | - Ângela C Crespo
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138.,Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Sarika K Kshirsagar
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138
| | - Vidya Iyer
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, MA 02111.,Mother Infant Research Institute, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, MA 02111
| | - Errol R Norwitz
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, MA 02111.,Mother Infant Research Institute, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, MA 02111
| | - Jack L Strominger
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138
| | - Tamara Tilburgs
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138; .,Division of Immunobiology, Center for Inflammation and Tolerance, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229; and.,Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45229
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42
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Virological, immunological and pathological findings of transplacentally transmitted bluetongue virus serotype 1 in IFNAR1-blocked mice during early and mid gestation. Sci Rep 2020; 10:2164. [PMID: 32034180 PMCID: PMC7005837 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-58268-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2019] [Accepted: 11/05/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Transplacental transmission (TPT) of wild-type Indian BTV-1 had never been experimentally proved. This study was first time investigated TPT of Indian BTV-1 (isolated from aborted and stillborn goat fetal spleens). The sequential pathology, virological and immune cell kinetics (CD4+, CD8+ T-lymphocytes and NK cells in spleen and PBMCs), and apoptosis in IFNAR1-blocked pregnant mice during early (infected on 1 GD) and mid (infected on 8 GD) gestation have been studied. There was higher rate of TPT during mid stage (71.43%) than early (57.14%) stage. In early stage reduced implantation sites, early embryonic deaths, abortions, and necro-haemorrhagic lesions had observed. Mid stage, congenital defects and neurological lesions in foetuses like haemorrhages, diffuse cerebral edema, necrotizing encephalitis and decreased bone size (Alizarin red staining) were noticed. BTV-1 antigen was first time demonstrable in cells of mesometrium, decidua of embryos, placenta, uterus, ovary, and brain of foetuses by immunohistochemistry and quantified by real-time qRT-PCR. BTV-inoculated mice were seroconverted by 7 and 5 dpi, and reached peak levels by 15 and 9 dpi in early and mid gestation, respectively. CD4+ and CD8+ cells were significantly decreased (increased ratio) on 7 dpi but subsequently increased on 15 dpi in early gestation. In mid gestation, increased CD8+ cells (decreased ratio) were observed. Apoptotic cells in PBMCs and tissues increased during peak viral load. This first time TPT of wild-type Indian BTV-1 deserves to be reported for implementation of control strategies. This model will be very suitable for further research into mechanisms of TPT, overwintering, and vaccination strategies.
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43
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Papúchová H, Meissner TB, Li Q, Strominger JL, Tilburgs T. The Dual Role of HLA-C in Tolerance and Immunity at the Maternal-Fetal Interface. Front Immunol 2019; 10:2730. [PMID: 31921098 PMCID: PMC6913657 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.02730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2019] [Accepted: 11/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
To establish a healthy pregnancy, maternal immune cells must tolerate fetal allo-antigens and remain competent to respond to infections both systemically and in placental tissues. Extravillous trophoblasts (EVT) are the most invasive cells of extra-embryonic origin to invade uterine tissues and express polymorphic Human Leucocyte Antigen-C (HLA-C) of both maternal and paternal origin. Thus, HLA-C is a key molecule that can elicit allogeneic immune responses by maternal T and NK cells and for which maternal-fetal immune tolerance needs to be established. HLA-C is also the only classical MHC molecule expressed by EVT that can present a wide variety of peptides to maternal memory T cells and establish protective immunity. The expression of paternal HLA-C by EVT provides a target for maternal NK and T cells, whereas HLA-C expression levels may influence how this response is shaped. This dual function of HLA-C requires tight transcriptional regulation of its expression to balance induction of tolerance and immunity. Here, we critically review new insights into: (i) the mechanisms controlling expression of HLA-C by EVT, (ii) the mechanisms by which decidual NK cells, effector T cells and regulatory T cells recognize HLA-C allo-antigens, and (iii) immune recognition of pathogen derived antigens in context of HLA-C.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henrieta Papúchová
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Torsten B Meissner
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States.,Department of Surgery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Qin Li
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Jack L Strominger
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Tamara Tilburgs
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States.,Division of Immunobiology, Center for Inflammation and Tolerance, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States
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44
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Cyprian F, Lefkou E, Varoudi K, Girardi G. Immunomodulatory Effects of Vitamin D in Pregnancy and Beyond. Front Immunol 2019; 10:2739. [PMID: 31824513 PMCID: PMC6883724 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.02739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2019] [Accepted: 11/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
In addition to its role in calcium homeostasis and bone formation, a modulatory role of the active form of vitamin D on cells of the immune system, particularly T lymphocytes, has been described. The effects of vitamin D on the production and action of several cytokines has been intensively investigated in recent years. In this connection, deficiency of vitamin D has been associated with several autoimmune diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis (RA), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), antiphospholipid syndrome (APS), Hashimoto Thyroiditis (HT), and multiple sclerosis (MS). In a successful pregnancy, the maternal immune response needs to adapt to accommodate the semiallogeneic fetus. Disturbances in maternal tolerance are implicated in infertility and pregnancy complications such as miscarriages (RM) and preeclampsia (PE). It is well-known that a subset of T lymphocytes, regulatory T cells (Tregs) exhibit potent suppressive activity, and have a crucial role in curtailing the destructive response of the immune system during pregnancy, and preventing autoimmune diseases. Interestingly, vitamin D deficiency is common in pregnant women, despite the widespread use of prenatal vitamins, and adverse pregnancy outcomes such as RM, PE, intrauterine growth restriction have been linked to hypovitaminosis D during pregnancy. Research has shown that autoimmune diseases have a significant prevalence within the female population, and women with autoimmune disorders are at higher risk for adverse pregnancy outcomes. Provocatively, dysregulation of T cells plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of autoimmunity, and adverse pregnancy outcomes where these pathologies are also associated with vitamin D deficiency. This article reviews the immunomodulatory role of vitamin D in autoimmune diseases and pregnancy. In particular, we will describe the role of vitamin D from conception until delivery, including the health of the offspring. This review highlights an observational study where hypovitaminosis D was correlated with decreased fertility, increased disease activity, placental insufficiency, and preeclampsia in women with APS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farhan Cyprian
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Member of QU Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
| | - Eleftheria Lefkou
- Institute of Obstetric Hematology, Perigenesis, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Katerina Varoudi
- Institute of Obstetric Hematology, Perigenesis, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Guillermina Girardi
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Member of QU Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
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45
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Perinatal Mesenchymal Stromal Cells and Their Possible Contribution to Fetal-Maternal Tolerance. Cells 2019; 8:cells8111401. [PMID: 31703272 PMCID: PMC6912620 DOI: 10.3390/cells8111401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2019] [Revised: 10/31/2019] [Accepted: 11/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
During pregnancy, a successful coexistence between the mother and the semi-allogenic fetus occurs which requires a dynamic immune system to guarantee an efficient immune protection against possible infections and tolerance toward fetal antigens. The mechanism of fetal-maternal tolerance is still an open question. There is growing in vitro and in vivo evidence that mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) which are present in perinatal tissues have a prominent role in generating a functional microenvironment critical to a successful pregnancy. This review highlights the immunomodulatory properties of perinatal MSC and their impact on the major immune cell subsets present in the uterus during pregnancy, such as natural killer cells, antigen-presenting cells (macrophages and dendritic cells), and T cells. Here, we discuss the current understanding and the possible contribution of perinatal MSC in the establishment of fetal-maternal tolerance, providing a new perspective on the physiology of gestation.
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46
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Burr ML, Sparbier CE, Chan KL, Chan YC, Kersbergen A, Lam EYN, Azidis-Yates E, Vassiliadis D, Bell CC, Gilan O, Jackson S, Tan L, Wong SQ, Hollizeck S, Michalak EM, Siddle HV, McCabe MT, Prinjha RK, Guerra GR, Solomon BJ, Sandhu S, Dawson SJ, Beavis PA, Tothill RW, Cullinane C, Lehner PJ, Sutherland KD, Dawson MA. An Evolutionarily Conserved Function of Polycomb Silences the MHC Class I Antigen Presentation Pathway and Enables Immune Evasion in Cancer. Cancer Cell 2019; 36:385-401.e8. [PMID: 31564637 PMCID: PMC6876280 DOI: 10.1016/j.ccell.2019.08.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 339] [Impact Index Per Article: 67.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2019] [Revised: 06/26/2019] [Accepted: 08/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Loss of MHC class I (MHC-I) antigen presentation in cancer cells can elicit immunotherapy resistance. A genome-wide CRISPR/Cas9 screen identified an evolutionarily conserved function of polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) that mediates coordinated transcriptional silencing of the MHC-I antigen processing pathway (MHC-I APP), promoting evasion of T cell-mediated immunity. MHC-I APP gene promoters in MHC-I low cancers harbor bivalent activating H3K4me3 and repressive H3K27me3 histone modifications, silencing basal MHC-I expression and restricting cytokine-induced upregulation. Bivalent chromatin at MHC-I APP genes is a normal developmental process active in embryonic stem cells and maintained during neural progenitor differentiation. This physiological MHC-I silencing highlights a conserved mechanism by which cancers arising from these primitive tissues exploit PRC2 activity to enable immune evasion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marian L Burr
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, 305 Grattan Street, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia; Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia; Cambridge Institute for Medical Research, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 0XY, UK.
| | - Christina E Sparbier
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, 305 Grattan Street, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia; Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Kah Lok Chan
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, 305 Grattan Street, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia; Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Yih-Chih Chan
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, 305 Grattan Street, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
| | - Ariena Kersbergen
- ACRF Cancer Biology and Stem Cell Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Enid Y N Lam
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, 305 Grattan Street, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia; Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | | | - Dane Vassiliadis
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, 305 Grattan Street, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia; Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Charles C Bell
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, 305 Grattan Street, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia; Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Omer Gilan
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, 305 Grattan Street, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia; Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Susan Jackson
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, 305 Grattan Street, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
| | - Lavinia Tan
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, 305 Grattan Street, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia; Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Stephen Q Wong
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, 305 Grattan Street, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia; Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Sebastian Hollizeck
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, 305 Grattan Street, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia; Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Ewa M Michalak
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, 305 Grattan Street, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia; Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Hannah V Siddle
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK; Institute for Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Michael T McCabe
- Epigenetics Research Unit, Oncology R&D, GlaxoSmithKline, Collegeville, PA, USA
| | - Rab K Prinjha
- Epigenetics Research Unit, Oncology R&D, GlaxoSmithKline, Collegeville, PA, USA; Epigenetics Research Unit, GlaxoSmithKline, Stevenage, UK
| | - Glen R Guerra
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, 305 Grattan Street, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia; Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Benjamin J Solomon
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, 305 Grattan Street, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia; Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Shahneen Sandhu
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, 305 Grattan Street, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia; Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Sarah-Jane Dawson
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, 305 Grattan Street, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia; Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia; Centre for Cancer Research, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
| | - Paul A Beavis
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, 305 Grattan Street, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia; Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Richard W Tothill
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia; Centre for Cancer Research, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia; Department of Clinical Pathology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Carleen Cullinane
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, 305 Grattan Street, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia; Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Paul J Lehner
- Cambridge Institute for Medical Research, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 0XY, UK
| | - Kate D Sutherland
- ACRF Cancer Biology and Stem Cell Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia; Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Mark A Dawson
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, 305 Grattan Street, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia; Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia; Centre for Cancer Research, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia.
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47
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Flippe L, Bézie S, Anegon I, Guillonneau C. Future prospects for CD8 + regulatory T cells in immune tolerance. Immunol Rev 2019; 292:209-224. [PMID: 31593314 PMCID: PMC7027528 DOI: 10.1111/imr.12812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
CD8+ Tregs have been long described and significant progresses have been made about their phenotype, their functional mechanisms, and their suppressive ability compared to conventional CD4+ Tregs. They are now at the dawn of their clinical use. In this review, we will summarize their phenotypic characteristics, their mechanisms of action, the similarities, differences and synergies between CD8+ and CD4+ Tregs, and we will discuss the biology, development and induction of CD8+ Tregs, their manufacturing for clinical use, considering open questions/uncertainties and future technically accessible improvements notably through genetic modifications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Léa Flippe
- Centre de Recherche en Transplantation et Immunologie UMR 1064, INSERM, Université de Nantes, Nantes, France.,Institut de Transplantation Urologie Néphrologie (ITUN), CHU Nantes, Nantes, France.,LabEx IGO "Immunotherapy, Graft, Oncology", Nantes, France
| | - Séverine Bézie
- Centre de Recherche en Transplantation et Immunologie UMR 1064, INSERM, Université de Nantes, Nantes, France.,Institut de Transplantation Urologie Néphrologie (ITUN), CHU Nantes, Nantes, France.,LabEx IGO "Immunotherapy, Graft, Oncology", Nantes, France
| | - Ignacio Anegon
- Centre de Recherche en Transplantation et Immunologie UMR 1064, INSERM, Université de Nantes, Nantes, France.,Institut de Transplantation Urologie Néphrologie (ITUN), CHU Nantes, Nantes, France.,LabEx IGO "Immunotherapy, Graft, Oncology", Nantes, France
| | - Carole Guillonneau
- Centre de Recherche en Transplantation et Immunologie UMR 1064, INSERM, Université de Nantes, Nantes, France.,Institut de Transplantation Urologie Néphrologie (ITUN), CHU Nantes, Nantes, France.,LabEx IGO "Immunotherapy, Graft, Oncology", Nantes, France
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48
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Vazquez J, Ong IM, Stanic AK. Single-cell technologies in reproductive immunology. Am J Reprod Immunol 2019; 82:e13157. [PMID: 31206899 PMCID: PMC6697222 DOI: 10.1111/aji.13157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2019] [Revised: 06/06/2019] [Accepted: 06/07/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The maternal-fetal interface represents a unique immune privileged site that maintains the ability to defend against pathogens while orchestrating the necessary tissue remodeling required for placentation. The recent discovery of novel cellular families (innate lymphoid cells, tissue-resident NK cells) suggests that our understanding of the decidual immunome is incomplete. To understand this complex milieu, new technological developments allow reproductive immunologists to collect increasingly complex data at a cellular resolution. Polychromatic flow cytometry allows for greater resolution in the identification of novel cell types by surface and intracellular protein. Single-cell RNA-seq coupled with microfluidics allows for efficient cellular transcriptomics. The extreme dimensionality and size of data sets generated, however, requires the application of novel computational approaches for unbiased analysis. There are now multiple dimensionality reduction (tSNE, SPADE) and visualization tools (SPICE) that allow researchers to efficiently analyze flow cytometry data. Development of computational tools has also been extended to RNA-seq data (including scRNA-seq), which requires specific analytical tools. Here, we provide an overview and a brief primer for the reproductive immunology community on data acquisition and computational tools for the analysis of complex flow cytometry and RNA-seq data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Vazquez
- Division of Reproductive Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI
| | - Irene M Ong
- Division of Reproductive Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI
- Division of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI
| | - Aleksandar K. Stanic
- Division of Reproductive Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI
- Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI
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49
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Balogh A, Toth E, Romero R, Parej K, Csala D, Szenasi NL, Hajdu I, Juhasz K, Kovacs AF, Meiri H, Hupuczi P, Tarca AL, Hassan SS, Erez O, Zavodszky P, Matko J, Papp Z, Rossi SW, Hahn S, Pallinger E, Than NG. Placental Galectins Are Key Players in Regulating the Maternal Adaptive Immune Response. Front Immunol 2019; 10:1240. [PMID: 31275299 PMCID: PMC6593412 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.01240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2019] [Accepted: 05/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Galectins are potent immunomodulators that regulate maternal immune responses in pregnancy and prevent the rejection of the semi-allogeneic fetus that also occurs in miscarriages. We previously identified a gene cluster on Chromosome 19 that expresses a subfamily of galectins, including galectin-13 (Gal-13) and galectin-14 (Gal-14), which emerged in anthropoid primates. These galectins are expressed only by the placenta and induce the apoptosis of activated T lymphocytes, possibly contributing to a shifted maternal immune balance in pregnancy. The placental expression of Gal-13 and Gal-14 is decreased in preeclampsia, a life-threatening obstetrical syndrome partly attributed to maternal anti-fetal rejection. This study is aimed at revealing the effects of Gal-13 and Gal-14 on T cell functions and comparing the expression of these galectins in placentas from healthy pregnancies and miscarriages. First-trimester placentas were collected from miscarriages and elective termination of pregnancies, tissue microarrays were constructed, and then the expression of Gal-13 and Gal-14 was analyzed by immunohistochemistry and immunoscoring. Recombinant Gal-13 and Gal-14 were expressed and purified, and their effects were investigated on primary peripheral blood T cells. The binding of Gal-13 and Gal-14 to T cells and the effects of these galectins on apoptosis, activation marker (CD25, CD71, CD95, HLA-DR) expression and cytokine (IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IFNγ) production of T cells were examined by flow cytometry. Gal-13 and Gal-14 are primarily expressed by the syncytiotrophoblast at the maternal-fetal interface in the first trimester, and their placental expression is decreased in miscarriages compared to first-trimester controls. Recombinant Gal-13 and Gal-14 bind to T cells in a population- and activation-dependent manner. Gal-13 and Gal-14 induce apoptosis of Th and Tc cell populations, regardless of their activation status. Out of the investigated activation markers, Gal-14 decreases the cell surface expression of CD71, Gal-13 increases the expression of CD25, and both galectins increase the expression of CD95 on T cells. Non-activated T cells produce larger amounts of IL-8 in the presence of Gal-13 or Gal-14. In conclusion, these results show that Gal-13 and Gal-14 already provide an immunoprivileged environment at the maternal-fetal interface during early pregnancy, and their reduced expression is related to miscarriages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Balogh
- Systems Biology of Reproduction Momentum Research Group, Institute of Enzymology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary.,Department of Immunology, Eotvos Lorand University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Eszter Toth
- Systems Biology of Reproduction Momentum Research Group, Institute of Enzymology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Roberto Romero
- Perinatology Research Branch, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, MD and Detroit, MI, United States.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States.,Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States.,Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, United States
| | - Katalin Parej
- Systems Biology of Reproduction Momentum Research Group, Institute of Enzymology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary.,Structural Biophysics Research Group, Institute of Enzymology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Diana Csala
- Systems Biology of Reproduction Momentum Research Group, Institute of Enzymology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Nikolett L Szenasi
- Systems Biology of Reproduction Momentum Research Group, Institute of Enzymology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Istvan Hajdu
- Structural Biophysics Research Group, Institute of Enzymology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Kata Juhasz
- Systems Biology of Reproduction Momentum Research Group, Institute of Enzymology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Arpad F Kovacs
- Department of Genetics, Cell and Immunobiology, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | | | - Petronella Hupuczi
- Maternity Private Clinic of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Adi L Tarca
- Perinatology Research Branch, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, MD and Detroit, MI, United States.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, United States.,Department of Computer Science, Wayne State University College of Engineering, Detroit, MI, United States
| | - Sonia S Hassan
- Perinatology Research Branch, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, MD and Detroit, MI, United States.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, United States.,Department of Physiology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, United States
| | - Offer Erez
- Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Maternity Department "D", Faculty of Health Sciences, Soroka University Medical Center, School of Medicine, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Peter Zavodszky
- Structural Biophysics Research Group, Institute of Enzymology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Janos Matko
- Department of Immunology, Eotvos Lorand University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Zoltan Papp
- Maternity Private Clinic of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Budapest, Hungary.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Simona W Rossi
- Department of Biomedicine, University and University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Sinuhe Hahn
- Department of Biomedicine, University and University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Eva Pallinger
- Department of Genetics, Cell and Immunobiology, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Nandor Gabor Than
- Systems Biology of Reproduction Momentum Research Group, Institute of Enzymology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary.,Maternity Private Clinic of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Budapest, Hungary.,First Department of Pathology and Experimental Cancer Research, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
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The appropriate frequency and function of decidual Tim-3 +CTLA-4 +CD8 + T cells are important in maintaining normal pregnancy. Cell Death Dis 2019; 10:407. [PMID: 31138782 PMCID: PMC6538701 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-019-1642-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2019] [Revised: 04/30/2019] [Accepted: 05/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Maternal decidual CD8+ T (dCD8+ T) cells must integrate the antithetical demands of maternal–fetal tolerance and anti-viral immunity to establish a successful pregnancy. T-cell immunoglobulin mucin-3 (Tim-3) and cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA-4) are two important co-inhibitory molecules that regulating CD8+ T cells responses during infection and tumor. In the present study, we examined the co-expression of Tim-3 and CTLA-4 on CD8+ T cells during pregnancy and found the higher frequency of Tim-3+CTLA-4+dCD8+ T cells in response to trophoblasts. This Tim-3+CTLA-4+dCD8+ T cells subset showed an active status and produced more anti-inflammatory cytokines. Furthermore, the decreased number and altered function of Tim-3+CTLA-4+dCD8+ T cells correlated to miscarriage. Combined blocking Tim-3 and CTLA-4 pathways were highly effective in inhibiting the production of anti-inflammatory cytokines and were detrimental to the maintenance of pregnancy. Together, these findings supported that Tim-3 and CTLA-4 pathways might play positive roles in the establishment and/or maintenance of maternal–fetal tolerance so to promote the maintenance of normal pregnancy. So the reproductive safety must be considered, especially when anti-Tim-3/CTLA-4 antibody (and other immune checkpoint inhibitors) are used in pregnancy.
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