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Understanding human immunity in idiopathic recurrent pregnancy loss. Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol 2021; 270:17-29. [PMID: 35007974 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejogrb.2021.12.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2021] [Revised: 12/12/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Miscarriage, defined as the loss of a pregnancy before a viable gestation, affects 1 in 6 couples. Recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL), defined as two or more miscarriages, affects up to 1.9% of couples. The physical, psychological, and financial impact of miscarriage can be substantial. However, despite its multifactorial etiology, for up to 50% of couples a reason behind this condition cannot be identified, termed 'idiopathic RPL'. Much recent research has strived to understand this, with immune dysregulation being a source of particular interest. In this short review we summarize the current evidence on the complex role of the immune system both pre- and early post-conception in RPL. A key question is whether systemic peripheral blood markers, in particular natural killer cell and T cells, may be utilized to accurately predict and/ or diagnose those pregnancies at high risk of loss. Given the invasive nature of endometrial testing, identification of reliable peripheral immune biomarkers is particularly appealing. Clinical trials using potent immunomodulatory agents, including intravenous immunoglobulin, donor leukocyte immunization, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α inhibitors, have been undertaken with the primary objective of preventing miscarriage in women with RPL. Standardisation of both diagnostic and prognostic immune cell testing assays is required to permit accurate identification of those women who may benefit from immunomodulation. Prompt clarification is required to meet the increasing expectation from couples and clinicians, as without these advancements women are at risk of exposure to potent immune-therapies and subsequent studies are at risk of failure, generating further controversy regarding the role of immune dysregulation in women with RPL. Through this review we highlight clear gaps in our current knowledge on immune activity in RPL.
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Baltayeva J, Konwar C, Castellana B, Mara DL, Christians JK, Beristain AG. Obesogenic diet exposure alters uterine natural killer cell biology and impairs vasculature remodeling in mice†. Biol Reprod 2021; 102:63-75. [PMID: 31436293 DOI: 10.1093/biolre/ioz163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2019] [Revised: 07/16/2019] [Accepted: 08/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Prepregnancy obesity associates with adverse reproductive outcomes that impact maternal and fetal health. While obesity-driven mechanisms underlying adverse pregnancy outcomes remain unclear, local uterine immune cells are strong but poorly studied candidates. Uterine immune cells, particularly uterine natural killer cells (uNKs), play central roles in orchestrating developmental events in pregnancy. However, the effect of obesity on uNK biology is poorly understood. Using an obesogenic high-fat/high-sugar diet (HFD) mouse model, we set out to examine the effects of maternal obesity on uNK composition and establishment of the maternal-fetal interface. HFD exposure resulted in weight gain-dependent increases in systemic inflammation and rates of fetal resorption. While HFD did not affect total uNK frequencies, HFD exposure did lead to an increase in natural cytotoxicity receptor-1 expressing uNKs as well as overall uNK activity. Importantly, HFD-associated changes in uNK coincided with impairments in uterine artery remodeling in mid but not late pregnancy. Comparison of uNK mRNA transcripts from control and HFD mice identified HFD-directed changes in genes that play roles in promoting activity/cytotoxicity and vascular biology. Together, this work provides new insight into how obesity may impact uNK processes central to the establishment of the maternal-fetal interface in early and mid pregnancy. Moreover, these findings shed light on the cellular processes affected by maternal obesity that may relate to overall pregnancy health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennet Baltayeva
- British Columbia Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, Canada.,Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Chaini Konwar
- British Columbia Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, Canada.,Department of Medical Genetics, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Barbara Castellana
- British Columbia Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, Canada.,Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Danielle L Mara
- British Columbia Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Julian K Christians
- British Columbia Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, Canada.,Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, Canada
| | - Alexander G Beristain
- British Columbia Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, Canada.,Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
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Travis OK, Baik C, Tardo GA, Amaral L, Jackson C, Greer M, Giachelli C, Ibrahim T, Herrock OT, Williams JM, Cornelius DC. Adoptive transfer of placental ischemia-stimulated natural killer cells causes a preeclampsia-like phenotype in pregnant rats. Am J Reprod Immunol 2021; 85:e13386. [PMID: 33315281 PMCID: PMC8131208 DOI: 10.1111/aji.13386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2020] [Revised: 10/21/2020] [Accepted: 12/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
PROBLEM The Reduced Uterine Perfusion Pressure (RUPP) rat model of placental ischemia recapitulates many characteristics of preeclampsia including maternal hypertension, intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), and increased cytolytic natural killer cells (cNKs). While we have previously shown a 5-fold higher cytotoxicity of RUPP NKs versus normal pregnant NKs, their role in RUPP pathophysiology remains unclear. In this study, we tested the hypotheses that (1) adoptive transfer of RUPP-stimulated NKs will induce maternal hypertension and IUGR in normal pregnant control (Sham) rats and (2) adoptive transfer of Sham NKs will attenuate maternal hypertension and IUGR in RUPP rats. METHOD OF STUDY On gestation day (GD)14, vehicle or 5 × 106 RUPP NKs were infused i.v. into a subset of Sham rats (Sham+RUPP NK), and vehicle or 5 × 106 Sham NKs were infused i.v. into a subset of RUPP rats (RUPP+Sham NK; n = 12/group). On GD18, Uterine Artery Resistance Index (UARI) was measured. On GD19, mean arterial pressure (MAP) was measured, animals were sacrificed, and blood and tissues were collected for analysis. RESULTS Adoptive transfer of RUPP NKs into Sham rats resulted in elevated NK activation, UARI, placental oxidative stress, and preproendothelin expression as well as reduced circulating nitrate/nitrite. This led to maternal hypertension and IUGR. RUPP recipients of Sham NKs demonstrated normalized NK activation, sFlt-1, circulating and placental VEGF, and UARI, which led to improved maternal blood pressure and normal fetal growth. CONCLUSION These data suggest a direct role for cNKs in causing preeclampsia pathophysiology and a role for normal NKs to improve maternal outcomes and IUGR during late gestation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivia K Travis
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Mississippi Medical Center
| | - Cedar Baik
- Department of Emergency Medicine University of Mississippi Medical Center
| | - Geilda A Tardo
- Department of Emergency Medicine University of Mississippi Medical Center
| | - Lorena Amaral
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Mississippi Medical Center
| | - Carmilya Jackson
- Department of Emergency Medicine University of Mississippi Medical Center
| | - Mallory Greer
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Mississippi Medical Center
| | - Chelsea Giachelli
- Department of Emergency Medicine University of Mississippi Medical Center
| | - Tarek Ibrahim
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Mississippi Medical Center
| | - Owen T. Herrock
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Mississippi Medical Center
| | - Jan M Williams
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Mississippi Medical Center
| | - Denise C Cornelius
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Mississippi Medical Center
- Department of Emergency Medicine University of Mississippi Medical Center
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Mikhailova VA, Markova KL, Belikova ME, Gzgzyan AM, Selkov SA, Sokolov DI. T-Lymphocyte proliferative activity in early pregnancy and outside pregnancy state. Gynecol Endocrinol 2021; 37:21-25. [PMID: 34937514 DOI: 10.1080/09513590.2021.2006477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022] Open
Abstract
T-lymphocytes are present in the endometrium before pregnancy and their number varies depending on menstrual cycle stage. Despite T-lymphocyte population heterogeneity, there is no clear vision of general mechanisms of decidua T-lymphocyte pool formation. One of the assumed variants is T-lymphocyte proliferation in situ. The study objective is to evaluate variations of peripheral blood T-lymphocyte proliferative activity in the presence of trophoblast cells. The peripheral blood was sampled from healthy nonpregnant women in the proliferative (n = 29) and secretory (n = 32) menstrual cycle phases and also from women on 6-7 weeks stage of physiological pregnancy (n = 30). Jeg-3 (ATCC) line cells were applied as trophoblast cells within in vitro model system. T-lymphocyte proliferation was determined by estimating the Ki-67 expression and T-lymphocyte relative number. It was established that trophoblast cells perform inhibiting effect on Ki-67 by T-lymphocytes in all groups of examined women both in course of PBMC cultivation and in case of preliminarily isolated T-lymphocytes. During cultivation in the presence of IL-2 and trophoblasts, PBMC T-lymphocytes in pregnant women are more resistant to trophoblast cells inhibition than in nonpregnant women. In case of isolated T-lymphocytes, decreased T-lymphocyte proliferation during pregnancy was observed as compared to the proliferative cycle phase hence pointing to necessity of T-lymphocyte contact with microenvironment cells for self-support.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina A Mikhailova
- FSBSI 'The Research Institute of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductology named after D.O.Ott', St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Kseniia L Markova
- FSBSI 'The Research Institute of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductology named after D.O.Ott', St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Madina E Belikova
- FSBSI 'The Research Institute of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductology named after D.O.Ott', St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Aleksander M Gzgzyan
- FSBSI 'The Research Institute of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductology named after D.O.Ott', St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Sergey A Selkov
- FSBSI 'The Research Institute of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductology named after D.O.Ott', St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Dmitriy I Sokolov
- FSBSI 'The Research Institute of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductology named after D.O.Ott', St. Petersburg, Russia
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The Association of Tuberculosis Mono-infection and Tuberculosis-Human Immunodeficiency Virus (TB-HIV) Co-infection in the Pathogenesis of Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy. Curr Hypertens Rep 2020; 22:104. [PMID: 33159613 DOI: 10.1007/s11906-020-01114-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/10/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW This review highlights the impact of TB mono-infection and TB-HIV co-infection on the pathogenesis of adverse maternal outcomes such as hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) and adverse fetal outcomes such as recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA), fetal growth restriction (FGR), and low birth weight. RECENT FINDINGS Research has shown that HDP, such as severe pre-eclampsia (PE) and eclampsia, as well as adverse fetal outcomes such as recurrent spontaneous abortion, fetal growth restriction, and low birth weight, are higher in women diagnosed with TB mono-infection and even higher in TB-HIV co-infection compared to those without TB. This is speculated to occur due to exaggerated activation of both angiogenic factors such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), nitric oxide (NO), angiotensin 2, (Ang 2), intracellular adhesion molecules (ICAMs), and inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin 2 (IL-2), (IL-17), and interferon-gamma (INF-γ). There is a lack of information with regard to the pathogenesis of adverse maternal and fetal outcomes upon TB mono-infection and TB-HIV co-infection; therefore, further investigations on the impact of TB mono-infection and TB-HIV co-infection on adverse maternal and fetal outcomes are urgently needed. This will assist in improving diagnostic procedures in pregnant women affected with TB as wells as TB-HIV co-infection.
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Zhang T, Zhu W, Zhao Y, Cheung WC, Liu Y, Chen X, Du Y, Leung KT, Chan YL, Wang CC, Laird S, Li TC. Early transient suppression of immune checkpoint proteins T-cell immunoglobulin mucin-3 and programmed cell death-1 in peripheral blood lymphocytes after blastocyst transfer is associated with successful implantation. Fertil Steril 2020; 114:426-435. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2019.12.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2019] [Revised: 12/11/2019] [Accepted: 12/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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Lobo TF, Borges CDM, Mattar R, Gomes CP, de Angelo AGS, Pendeloski KPT, Daher S. Impaired Treg and NK cells profile in overweight women with gestational diabetes mellitus. Am J Reprod Immunol 2018; 79. [PMID: 29315988 DOI: 10.1111/aji.12810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2017] [Accepted: 12/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
PROBLEM Maternal obesity is frequently associated with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), and immunological mechanisms seem to be involved in the physiopathology of these conditions. The aim of this study was to characterize the profile of immune cells in peripheral blood of overweight women with GDM. METHOD OF STUDY This case-control study included 27 glucose-tolerant (controls) and 31 GDM overweight pregnant women. Flow cytometry was used to assess the number of regulatory T cells (Treg) and natural killer (NK) cells in the peripheral blood. In addition, the expression of IL-10, TGF-B, and TNF-A in Treg and expression of IFN-G, TNF-A, granzyme, and perforin in NK cells were analyzed. RESULTS GDM patients had significantly lower frequency of TCD4+ CD25bright and TCD4+ CD25+ FOXP3high cells, higher production of TNF-A by Treg cells and higher percentage of NKCD16+ 56dim cells than the controls. CONCLUSION The association between obesity and GDM is a condition where it is observed impaired Treg and NK cells profile, findings that seem to be related with the development of IR and inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Rosiane Mattar
- Department of Obstetrics, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Caio Perez Gomes
- Department of Obstetrics, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | | | - Silvia Daher
- Department of Obstetrics, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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Elevated Levels of Serum Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor-A Are Not Related to NK Cell Parameters in Recurrent IVF Failure. J Reprod Infertil 2017; 18:280-287. [PMID: 29062792 PMCID: PMC5641437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor and NK cells have an interrelated role in angiogenesis that is critical for placentation and success of in vitro fertilization. An attempt was made to assess a possible relationship between the two in this study. METHODS A case control study was performed comparing the serum levels of VEGF-A and its receptor VEGF-R1 with levels of NK cells, activated NK cells and NK cytotoxicity in 62 women with Repeated Implantation Failure (RIF). The healthy control group consisted of 72 women of similar age, without known issues in achieving pregnancy or evidence of autoimmunity. Levels of VEGF-A and VEGF-R1 were quantified by ELISA methods with standard curve interpolation. NK cell subsets were determined with flow cytometry using fluorescent-tagged anti-CD56, anti-CD16, anti-CD3 and anti-CD69. NK cytotoxicity was performed by incubating peripheral blood mononuclear cells and K562 cultured cells with propidium iodide, steroid, intralipid and intravenous immunoglobulin, using previously described methods. Statistical analysis involved Mann-Whitney-U and Spearman's rank correlation testing with p-values defined as <0.05. RESULTS It was found that VEGF-A levels were significantly raised in women with RIF compared to healthy controls (362.9 vs. 171.6 pg/ml, p<0.0001), with no difference in VEGF-R1 levels between groups (1499 vs. 1202 pg/ml, p=0.4082). There was no correlation between VEGF-A or VEGF-R1 and the absolute levels of circulating NK cells, CD69 activated NK cells or NK cytotoxicity. CONCLUSION The absence of correlation between VEGF-A or VEGF-R1 and NK cells suggests VEGF secretion and regulation is independent of NK cell activity in RIF.
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