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Brady CA, Ford LB, Moss C, Zou Z, Crocker IP, Heazell AEP. Virtual crossmatching reveals upregulation of placental HLA-Class II in chronic histiocytic intervillositis. Sci Rep 2024; 14:18714. [PMID: 39134702 PMCID: PMC11319473 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-69315-5] [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: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 08/02/2024] [Indexed: 08/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Chronic histiocytic intervillositis (CHI) is a recurrent placental lesion where maternal macrophages infiltrate the intervillous space. Its cause is unknown, though due to similarities to rejected allografts one hypothesis is that CHI represents maternal-fetal rejection. Here, virtual crossmatching was applied to healthy pregnancies and those with a history of CHI. Anti-HLA antibodies, measured by Luminex, were present in slightly more controls than CHI (8/17 (47.1%) vs 5/14 (35.7%)), but there was no significant difference in levels of sensitisation or fetal specific antibodies. Quantification of immunohistochemical staining for HLA-Class II was increased in syncytiotrophoblast of placentas with CHI (Grade 0.44 [IQR 0.1-0.7]) compared to healthy controls (0.06 [IQR 0-0.2]) and subsequent pregnancies (0.13 [IQR 0-0.3]) (P = 0.0004). HLA-Class II expression was positively related both to the severity of CHI (r = 0.67) and C4d deposition (r = 0.48). There was no difference in overall C4d and HLA-Class I immunostaining. Though increased anti-HLA antibodies were not evident in CHI, increased expression of HLA-Class II at the maternal-fetal interface suggests that they may be relevant in its pathogenesis. Further investigation of antibodies immediately after diagnosis is warranted in a larger cohort of CHI cases to better understand the role of HLA in its pathophysiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chloe A Brady
- Tommy's Maternal and Fetal Health Research Centre, St Mary's Hospital, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
| | - Laura B Ford
- Transplantation Laboratory, Manchester Royal Infirmary, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK
| | - Chloe Moss
- Tommy's Maternal and Fetal Health Research Centre, St Mary's Hospital, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Zhiyong Zou
- Tommy's Maternal and Fetal Health Research Centre, St Mary's Hospital, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Ian P Crocker
- Tommy's Maternal and Fetal Health Research Centre, St Mary's Hospital, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Alexander E P Heazell
- Tommy's Maternal and Fetal Health Research Centre, St Mary's Hospital, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
- Saint Mary's Hospital, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK
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2
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Andreescu M. Correlation Between Maternal-Fetus Interface and Placenta-Mediated Complications. Cureus 2024; 16:e62457. [PMID: 38882223 PMCID: PMC11180486 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.62457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/15/2024] [Indexed: 06/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Pregnancy is a highly regulated biological phenomenon that involves the development of a semi-allogeneic fetus inside the uterus of the mother. The maternal-fetal interface is a critical junction where communication takes place between the fetal and maternal immune systems, which determine the outcome of the pregnancy. The interface is composed of the decidua and placenta. The main cells present at the maternal-fetal interface include invading trophoblasts, maternal immune cells, and decidual stromal cells. Although maternal tolerance is crucial for maintaining a successful pregnancy, the role of the placenta in pregnancy is also important. Dysregulation of the placenta leads to various placenta-mediated complications, such as preeclampsia, intrauterine growth restriction, and placental abruption. Although the exact mechanism involving these complications is unclear, research has elucidated various factors involved in these pregnancy disorders. This review aimed to provide a summary of the maternal-fetal interface and immune mechanisms involved in placenta-mediated complications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mihaela Andreescu
- Faculty of Medicine, Titu Maiorescu University, Bucharest, ROU
- Hematology, Colentina Clinical Hospital, Bucharest, ROU
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3
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Yin T, Li X, Li Y, Zang X, Liu L, Du M. Macrophage plasticity and function in cancer and pregnancy. Front Immunol 2024; 14:1333549. [PMID: 38274812 PMCID: PMC10808357 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1333549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2024] Open
Abstract
As the soil of life, the composition and shaping process of the immune microenvironment of the uterus is worth exploring. Macrophages, indispensable constituents of the innate immune system, are essential mediators of inflammation and tissue remodeling as well. Recent insights into the heterogeneity of macrophage subpopulations have renewed interest in their functional diversity in both physiological and pathological settings. Macrophages display remarkable plasticity and switch from one phenotype to another. Intrinsic plasticity enables tissue macrophages to perform a variety of functions in response to changing tissue contexts, such as cancer and pregnancy. The remarkable diversity and plasticity make macrophages particularly intriguing cells given their dichotomous role in either attacking or protecting tumors and semi-allogeneic fetuses, which of both are characterized functionally by immunomodulation and neovascularization. Here, we reviewed and compared novel perspectives on macrophage biology of these two settings, including origin, phenotype, differentiation, and essential roles in corresponding microenvironments, as informed by recent studies on the heterogeneity of macrophage identity and function, as well as their mechanisms that might offer opportunities for new therapeutic strategies on malignancy and pregnancy complications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tingxuan Yin
- Lab of Reproduction Immunology, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Female Reproductive Endocrine-Related Diseases, Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Fudan University Shanghai Medical College, Shanghai, China
| | - Xinyi Li
- Lab of Reproduction Immunology, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Female Reproductive Endocrine-Related Diseases, Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Fudan University Shanghai Medical College, Shanghai, China
| | - Yanhong Li
- Lab of Reproduction Immunology, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Female Reproductive Endocrine-Related Diseases, Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Fudan University Shanghai Medical College, Shanghai, China
| | - Xingxing Zang
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, United States
| | - Lu Liu
- Lab of Reproduction Immunology, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Female Reproductive Endocrine-Related Diseases, Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Fudan University Shanghai Medical College, Shanghai, China
| | - Meirong Du
- Lab of Reproduction Immunology, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Female Reproductive Endocrine-Related Diseases, Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Fudan University Shanghai Medical College, Shanghai, China
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4
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Vazquez J, Mohamed MA, Banerjee S, Keding LT, Koenig MR, Leyva Jaimes F, Fisher RC, Bove EM, Golos TG, Stanic AK. Deciphering decidual leukocyte traffic with serial intravascular staining. Front Immunol 2024; 14:1332943. [PMID: 38268922 PMCID: PMC10806228 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1332943] [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: 11/03/2023] [Accepted: 12/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2024] Open
Abstract
The decidual immunome is dynamic, dramatically changing its composition across gestation. Early pregnancy is dominated by decidual NK cells, with a shift towards T cells later in pregnancy. However, the degree, timing, and subset-specific nature of leukocyte traffic between the decidua and systemic circulation during gestation remains poorly understood. Herein, we employed intravascular staining in pregnant C57BL/6J mice and cynomolgus macaques (Macaca fascicularis) to examine leukocyte traffic into the decidual basalis during pregnancy. Timed-mated or virgin mice were tail-vein injected with labelled αCD45 antibodies 24 hours and 5 minutes before sacrifice. Pregnant cynomolgus macaques (GD155) were infused with labelled αCD45 at 2 hours or 5 mins before necropsy. Decidual cells were isolated and resulting suspensions analyzed by flow cytometry. We found that the proportion of intravascular (IVAs)-negative leukocytes (cells labeled by the 24h infusion of αCD45 or unlabeled) decreased across murine gestation while recent immigrants (24h label only) increased in mid- to late-gestation. In the cynomolgus model our data confirmed differential labeling of decidual leukocytes by the infused antibody, with the 5 min infused animal having a higher proportion of IVAs+ cells compared to the 2hr infused animal. Decidual tissue sections from both macaques showed the presence of intravascularly labeled cells, either in proximity to blood vessels (5min infused animal) or deeper into decidual stroma (2hr infused animal). These results demonstrate the value of serial intravascular staining as a sensitive tool for defining decidual leukocyte traffic during pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Vazquez
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
- Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Mona A Mohamed
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Soma Banerjee
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Logan T Keding
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
- Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Michelle R Koenig
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Fernanda Leyva Jaimes
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
- Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Rachel C Fisher
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Emily M Bove
- Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Thaddeus G Golos
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
- Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, Madison, WI, United States
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Aleksandar K Stanic
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
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Mahajan D, Kumar T, Rath PK, Sahoo AK, Mishra BP, Kumar S, Nayak NR, Jena MK. Dendritic Cells and the Establishment of Fetomaternal Tolerance for Successful Human Pregnancy. Arch Immunol Ther Exp (Warsz) 2024; 72:aite-2024-0010. [PMID: 38782369 DOI: 10.2478/aite-2024-0010] [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: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
Pregnancy is a remarkable event where the semi-allogeneic fetus develops in the mother's uterus, despite genetic and immunological differences. The antigen handling and processing at the maternal-fetal interface during pregnancy appear to be crucial for the adaptation of the maternal immune system and for tolerance to the developing fetus and placenta. Maternal antigen-presenting cells (APCs), such as macrophages (Mφs) and dendritic cells (DCs), are present at the maternal-fetal interface throughout pregnancy and are believed to play a crucial role in this process. Despite numerous studies focusing on the significance of Mφs, there is limited knowledge regarding the contribution of DCs in fetomaternal tolerance during pregnancy, making it a relatively new and growing field of research. This review focuses on how the behavior of DCs at the maternal-fetal interface adapts to pregnancy's unique demands. Moreover, it discusses how DCs interact with other cells in the decidual leukocyte network to regulate uterine and placental homeostasis and the local maternal immune responses to the fetus. The review particularly examines the different cell lineages of DCs with specific surface markers, which have not been critically reviewed in previous publications. Additionally, it emphasizes the impact that even minor disruptions in DC functions can have on pregnancy-related complications and proposes further research into the potential therapeutic benefits of targeting DCs to manage these complications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deviyani Mahajan
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Bioengineering and Biosciences, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, Punjab 144411, India
| | - Tarun Kumar
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Complex, Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Hisar, Haryana 125001, India
| | - Prasana Kumar Rath
- Department of Veterinary Pathology, College of Veterinary Science and AH, Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology, Bhubaneswar, Odisha 751003, India
| | - Anjan Kumar Sahoo
- Department of Veterinary Pathology, College of Veterinary Science and AH, Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology, Bhubaneswar, Odisha 751003, India
- Department of Veterinary Surgery and Radiology, College of Veterinary Science and AH, Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology, Bhubaneswar, Odisha 751003, India
| | - Bidyut Prava Mishra
- Department of Veterinary Pathology, College of Veterinary Science and AH, Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology, Bhubaneswar, Odisha 751003, India
- Department of Livestock Products Technology, College of Veterinary Science and AH, Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology, Bhubaneswar, Odisha 751003, India
| | - Sudarshan Kumar
- Proteomics and Structural Biology Laboratory, Animal Biotechnology Centre, National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, Haryana 132001, India
| | - Nihar Ranjan Nayak
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, UMKC School of Medicine, Kansas City, MO 64108, USA
| | - Manoj Kumar Jena
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Bioengineering and Biosciences, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, Punjab 144411, India
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6
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Zhao H, Wang Y, Xu H, Liu M, Xu X, Zhu S, Liu Z, Cai H, Wang Y, Lu J, Yang X, Kong S, Bao H, Wang H, Deng W. Stromal cells-specific retinoic acid determines parturition timing at single-cell and spatial-temporal resolution. iScience 2023; 26:107796. [PMID: 37720083 PMCID: PMC10502414 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.107796] [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: 03/13/2023] [Revised: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The underlying mechanisms governing parturition remain largely elusive due to limited knowledge of parturition preparation and initiation. Accumulated evidences indicate that maternal decidua plays a critical role in parturition initiation. To comprehensively decrypt the cell heterogeneity in decidua approaching parturition, we investigate the roles of various cell types in mouse decidua process and reveal previously unappreciated insights in parturition initiation utilizing single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq). We enumerate the cell types in decidua and identity five different stromal cells populations and one decidualized stromal cells. Furthermore, our study unravels that stromal cells prepare for parturition by regulating local retinol acid (RA) synthesis. RA supplement decreases expression of extracellular matrix-related genes in vitro and accelerates the timing of parturition in vivo. Collectively, the discovery of contribution of stromal cells in parturition expands current knowledge about parturition and opens up avenues for the intervention of preterm birth (PTB).
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Zhao
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
- State Key Laboratory of Vaccines for Infectious Diseases, Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Yang Wang
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
- State Key Laboratory of Vaccines for Infectious Diseases, Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Hui Xu
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
- State Key Laboratory of Vaccines for Infectious Diseases, Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Meng Liu
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
- State Key Laboratory of Vaccines for Infectious Diseases, Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Xinmei Xu
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
- State Key Laboratory of Vaccines for Infectious Diseases, Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Sijing Zhu
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
- State Key Laboratory of Vaccines for Infectious Diseases, Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Zhao Liu
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
- State Key Laboratory of Vaccines for Infectious Diseases, Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Han Cai
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
- State Key Laboratory of Vaccines for Infectious Diseases, Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Yinan Wang
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
- State Key Laboratory of Vaccines for Infectious Diseases, Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Jinhua Lu
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
- State Key Laboratory of Vaccines for Infectious Diseases, Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Xiaoqing Yang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Xisi Road, Nantong, Jiangsu, China
| | - Shuangbo Kong
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
- State Key Laboratory of Vaccines for Infectious Diseases, Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Haili Bao
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
- State Key Laboratory of Vaccines for Infectious Diseases, Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Haibin Wang
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
- State Key Laboratory of Vaccines for Infectious Diseases, Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Wenbo Deng
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
- State Key Laboratory of Vaccines for Infectious Diseases, Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
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7
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Choudhary P, Magloire D, Hamonic G, Wilson HL. Immune responses in the uterine mucosa: clues for vaccine development in pigs. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1171212. [PMID: 37483639 PMCID: PMC10361056 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1171212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023] Open
Abstract
The immune system in the upper reproductive tract (URT) protects against sexually transmitted pathogens, while at the same time providing immune tolerance responses against allogenic sperm and the developing fetus. The uterine environment is also responsive to hormonal variations during the estrus cycle, although the most likely timing of exposure to pathogens is during estrus and breeding when the cervix is semi-permissive. The goal for intrauterine immunization would be to induce local or systemic immunity and/or to promote colostral/lactogenic immunity that will passively protect suckling offspring. The developing fetus is not the vaccine target. This minireview article focuses on the immune response induced in the pig uterus (uterine body and uterine horns) with some comparative references to other livestock species, mice, and humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pooja Choudhary
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO), University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | - Donaldson Magloire
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO), University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology Sciences, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | - Glenn Hamonic
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO), University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | - Heather L. Wilson
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO), University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology Sciences, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
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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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9
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Zhang L, Jiang T, Yang Y, Deng W, Lu H, Wang S, Liu R, Chang M, Wu S, Gao Y, Hao H, Shen G, Xu M, Chen X, Hu L, Yang L, Bi X, Lin Y, Lu Y, Jiang Y, Li M, Xie Y. Postpartum hepatitis and host immunity in pregnant women with chronic HBV infection. Front Immunol 2023; 13:1112234. [PMID: 36685527 PMCID: PMC9846060 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1112234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
In order to develop immune tolerant to the fetal, maternal immune system will have some modification comparing to the time before pregnancy. Immune tolerance starts and develops at the maternal placental interface. In innate immunity, decidual natural killer (dNK) cells, macrophages and dendritic cells play a key role in immue tolerance. In adaptive immunity, a moderate increase of number and immune inhibition function of regulatory T cells (Treg) are essential for immune tolerance. The trophoblast cells and immune cells expressing indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO), the trophoblast cells expressing HLA-G, and Th1/Th2 shifting to Th2 dominant and Th17/Treg shifting to Treg domiant are in favor of maternal fetal immune tolerance. Steroids (estrogen and progesterone) and human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) also participate in immune tolerance by inducing Treg cells or upregulating immunosuppressive cytokines. Most of the patients with chronic HBV infection are in the "HBV immune tolerance period" before pregnancy, and the liver disease is relatively stable during pregnancy. In chronic HBV infection women, after delivery, the relative immunosuppression in vivo is reversed, and Th1 is dominant in Th1/Th2 and Th17 is dominant in Th17/Treg balance. After delivery, the number of Treg decrease and NK cells increase in quantity and cytotoxicity in peripheral blood. Liver NK cells may cause liver inflammation through a non-antigen specific mechanism. After delivery, the number of CD8+ T cells will increase and HBV specific T cell response recovers from the disfunction in pregnancy. Under the background of postpartum inflammation, the rapid decrease of cortisol after delivery, and especially the enhancement of HBV specific T cell response induced by HBV DNA and cytokines, are the main reasons for postpartum hepatitis. HBeAg positive, especially HBeAg<700 S/CO, and HBV DNA>3-5Log10IU/ml are risk factors for postpartum hepatitis. Antiviral treatment in late pregnancy can reduce the incidence of mother to child transmission (MTCT) in chronic HBV infection women. Chronic HBV infection women have hepatitis both during pregnancy and more often in 12 weeks postpartum. It is generally agreed that postpartum hepatitis is mild symptoms and self-limited. Delaying drug withdrawal to 48 weeks can increase the seroconversion rate of HBeAg in delivery women with elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT) in pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu Zhang
- Department of Hepatology Division 2, Beijing Ditan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Tingting Jiang
- Department of Hepatology Division 2, Beijing Ditan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Ying Yang
- Hepatology Department 2, Xingtai Second Hospital, Xingtai, China
| | - Wen Deng
- Department of Hepatology Division 2, Beijing Ditan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Huihui Lu
- Department of Hepatology Division 2, Beijing Ditan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wuhan Children’s Hospital (Wuhan Maternal and Child Healthcare Hospital), Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Shiyu Wang
- Department of Hepatology Division 2, Beijing Ditan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Ruyu Liu
- Department of Hepatology Division 2, Beijing Ditan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Min Chang
- Department of Hepatology Division 2, Beijing Ditan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Shuling Wu
- Department of Hepatology Division 2, Beijing Ditan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Yuanjiao Gao
- Department of Hepatology Division 2, Beijing Ditan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Hongxiao Hao
- Department of Hepatology Division 2, Beijing Ditan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Ge Shen
- Department of Hepatology Division 2, Beijing Ditan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Mengjiao Xu
- Department of Hepatology Division 2, Beijing Ditan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaoxue Chen
- Department of Hepatology Division 2, Beijing Ditan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Leiping Hu
- Department of Hepatology Division 2, Beijing Ditan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Liu Yang
- Department of Hepatology Division 2, Beijing Ditan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaoyue Bi
- Department of Hepatology Division 2, Beijing Ditan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Yanjie Lin
- Department of Hepatology Division 2, Peking University Ditan Teaching Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Yao Lu
- Department of Hepatology Division 2, Beijing Ditan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China,*Correspondence: Yao Lu, ; Yuyong Jiang, ; Minghui Li, ; Yao Xie,
| | - Yuyong Jiang
- Center of Integrative Medicine, Beijing Ditan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China,*Correspondence: Yao Lu, ; Yuyong Jiang, ; Minghui Li, ; Yao Xie,
| | - Minghui Li
- Department of Hepatology Division 2, Beijing Ditan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China,Department of Hepatology Division 2, Peking University Ditan Teaching Hospital, Beijing, China,*Correspondence: Yao Lu, ; Yuyong Jiang, ; Minghui Li, ; Yao Xie,
| | - Yao Xie
- Department of Hepatology Division 2, Beijing Ditan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China,Department of Hepatology Division 2, Peking University Ditan Teaching Hospital, Beijing, China,*Correspondence: Yao Lu, ; Yuyong Jiang, ; Minghui Li, ; Yao Xie,
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10
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Moffett A, Shreeve N. Local immune recognition of trophoblast in early human pregnancy: controversies and questions. Nat Rev Immunol 2022; 23:222-235. [PMID: 36192648 PMCID: PMC9527719 DOI: 10.1038/s41577-022-00777-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
The role of the maternal immune system in reproductive success in humans remains controversial. Here we focus on the events that occur in the maternal decidua during the first few weeks of human pregnancy, because this is the site at which maternal leukocytes initially interact with and can recognize fetal trophoblast cells, potentially involving allorecognition by both T cells and natural killer (NK) cells. NK cells are the dominant leukocyte population in first-trimester decidua, and genetic studies point to a role of allorecognition by uterine NK cells in establishing a boundary between the mother and the fetus. By contrast, definitive evidence that allorecognition by decidual T cells occurs during the first trimester is lacking. Thus, our view is that during the crucial period when the placenta is established, damaging T cell-mediated adaptive immune responses towards placental trophoblast are minimized, whereas NK cell allorecognition contributes to successful implantation and healthy pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley Moffett
- grid.5335.00000000121885934Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Norman Shreeve
- grid.5335.00000000121885934Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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11
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Neuwirth T, Knapp K, Stary G. (Not) Home alone: Antigen presenting cell - T Cell communication in barrier tissues. Front Immunol 2022; 13:984356. [PMID: 36248804 PMCID: PMC9556809 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.984356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Priming of T cells by antigen presenting cells (APCs) is essential for T cell fate decisions, enabling T cells to migrate to specific tissues to exert their effector functions. Previously, these interactions were mainly explored using blood-derived cells or animal models. With great advances in single cell RNA-sequencing techniques enabling analysis of tissue-derived cells, it has become clear that subsets of APCs are responsible for priming and modulating heterogeneous T cell effector responses in different tissues. This composition of APCs and T cells in tissues is essential for maintaining homeostasis and is known to be skewed in infection and inflammation, leading to pathological T cell responses. This review highlights the commonalities and differences of T cell priming and subsequent effector function in multiple barrier tissues such as the skin, intestine and female reproductive tract. Further, we provide an overview of how this process is altered during tissue-specific infections which are known to cause chronic inflammation and how this knowledge could be harnessed to modify T cell responses in barrier tissue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teresa Neuwirth
- Department of Dermatology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Katja Knapp
- Department of Dermatology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Georg Stary
- Department of Dermatology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria
- Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Rare and Undiagnosed Diseases, Vienna, Austria
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12
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Kaur G, Porter CBM, Ashenberg O, Lee J, Riesenfeld SJ, Hofree M, Aggelakopoulou M, Subramanian A, Kuttikkatte SB, Attfield KE, Desel CAE, Davies JL, Evans HG, Avraham-Davidi I, Nguyen LT, Dionne DA, Neumann AE, Jensen LT, Barber TR, Soilleux E, Carrington M, McVean G, Rozenblatt-Rosen O, Regev A, Fugger L. Mouse fetal growth restriction through parental and fetal immune gene variation and intercellular communications cascade. Nat Commun 2022; 13:4398. [PMID: 35906236 PMCID: PMC9338297 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-32171-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2021] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Fetal growth restriction (FGR) affects 5-10% of pregnancies, and can have serious consequences for both mother and child. Prevention and treatment are limited because FGR pathogenesis is poorly understood. Genetic studies implicate KIR and HLA genes in FGR, however, linkage disequilibrium, genetic influence from both parents, and challenges with investigating human pregnancies make the risk alleles and their functional effects difficult to map. Here, we demonstrate that the interaction between the maternal KIR2DL1, expressed on uterine natural killer (NK) cells, and the paternally inherited HLA-C*0501, expressed on fetal trophoblast cells, leads to FGR in a humanized mouse model. We show that the KIR2DL1 and C*0501 interaction leads to pathogenic uterine arterial remodeling and modulation of uterine NK cell function. This initial effect cascades to altered transcriptional expression and intercellular communication at the maternal-fetal interface. These findings provide mechanistic insight into specific FGR risk alleles, and provide avenues of prevention and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gurman Kaur
- MRC Human Immunology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Klarman Cell Observatory, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Caroline B M Porter
- Klarman Cell Observatory, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Orr Ashenberg
- Klarman Cell Observatory, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Jack Lee
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Samantha J Riesenfeld
- Klarman Cell Observatory, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Matan Hofree
- Klarman Cell Observatory, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Maria Aggelakopoulou
- Oxford Centre for Neuroinflammation, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | | | - Subita Balaram Kuttikkatte
- MRC Human Immunology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Kathrine E Attfield
- Oxford Centre for Neuroinflammation, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Christiane A E Desel
- Oxford Centre for Neuroinflammation, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- University Department of Neurology, University Hospital Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Jessica L Davies
- Oxford Centre for Neuroinflammation, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Hayley G Evans
- Oxford Centre for Neuroinflammation, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Inbal Avraham-Davidi
- Klarman Cell Observatory, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Lan T Nguyen
- Klarman Cell Observatory, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Danielle A Dionne
- Klarman Cell Observatory, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | - Lise Torp Jensen
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Thomas R Barber
- MRC Human Immunology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Elizabeth Soilleux
- Department of Pathology, Tennis Court Rd, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, England
| | - Mary Carrington
- Basic Science Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research in the Laboratory of Integrative Cancer Immunology, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Gil McVean
- Big Data Institute, Li Ka Shing Centre for Health Information and Discovery, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Orit Rozenblatt-Rosen
- Klarman Cell Observatory, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Genentech, 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Aviv Regev
- Klarman Cell Observatory, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Biology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, USA.
- Genentech, 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA, USA.
| | - Lars Fugger
- MRC Human Immunology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
- Oxford Centre for Neuroinflammation, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.
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13
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Lin JZ, Lin N. Three Oxidative Stress-Related Genes That Associate Endometrial Immune Cells Are Considered as Potential Biomarkers for the Prediction of Unexplained Recurrent Implantation Failure. Front Immunol 2022; 13:902268. [PMID: 35720403 PMCID: PMC9203891 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.902268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Recurrent implantation failure (RIF) represents a new challenge in the field of assisted reproductive technology (ART). Considering the known effects of immune cell regulation on embryo implantation process, as well as our gene set variation analysis (GSVA) results that suggested the association between RIF and pathways of oxidative stress and immune responses, we hypothesized that oxidative stress- related genes (OSGs) associated with aberrant immunological factor may represent novel biomarkers for unexplained RIF. We therefore screened out the immune cell coexpressed OSGs by performing CIBERSORT, LM22 matrix and Pearson correlation, followed by constructing an OSG signature by least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression. Three OSGs (AXL, SLC7A11 and UBQLN1) were then identified to establish a RIF risk signature, which showed high ability to discriminating RIF from fertile control. A nomogram was established, with a free online calculator for easier clinical application. Finally, Chilibot, protein-protein interaction analysis and BioGPS were sequentially applied for the investigation of functional relationships of these three genes with RIF and other OSGs, as well as their expression abundance across different human tissues. In conclusion, we identified an OSG signature that are relevant novel markers for the occurrence of unexplained RIF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia-zhe Lin
- Neurosurgical Department, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, China
| | - Nuan Lin
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, China
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14
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Marquardt RM, Ahn SH, Reske JJ, Chandler RL, Petroff MG, Kim TH, Jeong JW. Endometrial Epithelial ARID1A Is Required for Uterine Immune Homeostasis during Early Pregnancy. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:6067. [PMID: 35682747 PMCID: PMC9181301 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23116067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Revised: 05/13/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
A growing body of work suggests epigenetic dysregulation contributes to endometriosis pathophysiology and female infertility. The chromatin remodeling complex subunit AT-rich interaction domain 1A (ARID1A) must be properly expressed to maintain normal uterine function. Endometrial epithelial ARID1A is indispensable for pregnancy establishment in mice through regulation of endometrial gland function; however, ARID1A expression is decreased in infertile women with endometriosis. We hypothesized that ARID1A performs critical operations in the endometrial epithelium necessary for fertility besides maintaining gland function. To identify alterations in uterine gene expression resulting from loss of epithelial ARID1A, we performed RNA-sequencing analysis on pre-implantation uteri from LtfiCre/+Arid1af/f and control mice. Differential expression analysis identified 4181 differentially expressed genes enriched for immune-related ingenuity canonical pathways including agranulocyte adhesion and diapedesis and natural killer cell signaling. RT-qPCR confirmed an increase in pro-inflammatory cytokine and macrophage-related gene expression but a decrease in natural killer cell signaling. Immunostaining confirmed a uterus-specific increase in macrophage infiltration. Flow cytometry delineated an increase in inflammatory macrophages and a decrease in uterine dendritic cells in LtfiCre/+Arid1af/f uteri. These findings demonstrate a role for endometrial epithelial ARID1A in suppressing inflammation and maintaining uterine immune homeostasis, which are required for successful pregnancy and gynecological health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan M. Marquardt
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, Michigan State University, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA; (R.M.M.); (J.J.R.); (R.L.C.); (T.H.K.)
- Cell and Molecular Biology Program, College of Natural Science, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA;
| | - Soo Hyun Ahn
- Department of Pathobiology and Diagnostic Investigation, College of Veterinary Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA;
| | - Jake J. Reske
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, Michigan State University, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA; (R.M.M.); (J.J.R.); (R.L.C.); (T.H.K.)
| | - Ronald L. Chandler
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, Michigan State University, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA; (R.M.M.); (J.J.R.); (R.L.C.); (T.H.K.)
| | - Margaret G. Petroff
- Cell and Molecular Biology Program, College of Natural Science, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA;
- Department of Pathobiology and Diagnostic Investigation, College of Veterinary Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA;
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Tae Hoon Kim
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, Michigan State University, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA; (R.M.M.); (J.J.R.); (R.L.C.); (T.H.K.)
| | - Jae-Wook Jeong
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, Michigan State University, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA; (R.M.M.); (J.J.R.); (R.L.C.); (T.H.K.)
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15
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Rizzuto G, Erlebacher A. Trophoblast antigens, fetal blood cell antigens, and the paradox of fetomaternal tolerance. J Exp Med 2022; 219:e20211515. [PMID: 35416936 PMCID: PMC9011327 DOI: 10.1084/jem.20211515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2022] [Revised: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The paradox of fetomaternal tolerance has puzzled immunologists and reproductive biologists alike for almost 70 yr. Even the idea that the conceptus evokes a uniformly tolerogenic immune response in the mother is contradicted by the long-appreciated ability of pregnant women to mount robust antibody responses to paternal HLA molecules and RBC alloantigens such as Rh(D). Synthesizing these older observations with more recent work in mice, we discuss how the decision between tolerance or immunity to a given fetoplacental antigen appears to be a function of whether the antigen is trophoblast derived-and thus decorated with immunosuppressive glycans-or fetal blood cell derived.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabrielle Rizzuto
- Department of Pathology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
| | - Adrian Erlebacher
- Center for Reproductive Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
- Biomedical Sciences Program, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
- Bakar ImmunoX Initiative, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
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16
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Liu A, Raja xavier J, Singh Y, Brucker SY, Salker MS. Molecular and Physiological Aspects of SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Women and Pregnancy. Front Glob Womens Health 2022; 3:756362. [PMID: 35284910 PMCID: PMC8908006 DOI: 10.3389/fgwh.2022.756362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2021] [Accepted: 02/01/2022] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Whilst scientific knowledge about SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 is rapidly increasing, much of the effects on pregnant women is still unknown. To accommodate pregnancy, the human endometrium must undergo a physiological transformation called decidualization. These changes encompass the remodeling of endometrial immune cells leading to immunotolerance of the semi-allogenic conceptus as well as defense against pathogens. The angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) plays an important regulatory role in the renin-angiotensin-system (RAS) and has been shown to be protective against comorbidities known to worsen COVID-19 outcomes. Furthermore, ACE2 is also crucial for decidualization and thus for early gestation. An astounding gender difference has been found in COVID-19 with male patients presenting with more severe cases and higher mortality rates. This could be attributed to differences in sex chromosomes, hormone levels and behavior patterns. Despite profound changes in the female body during pregnancy, expectant mothers do not face worse outcomes compared with non-pregnant women. Whereas mother-to-child transmission through respiratory droplets during labor or in the postnatal period is known, another question of in utero transmission remains unanswered. Evidence of placental SARS-CoV-2 infection and expression of viral entry receptors at the maternal-fetal interface suggests the possibility of in utero transmission. SARS-CoV-2 can cause further harm through placental damage, maternal systemic inflammation, and hindered access to health care during the pandemic. More research on the effects of COVID-19 during early pregnancy as well as vaccination and treatment options for gravid patients is urgently needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Liu
- Research Institute of Women's Health, Eberhard Karls University, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Janet Raja xavier
- Research Institute of Women's Health, Eberhard Karls University, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Yogesh Singh
- Research Institute of Women's Health, Eberhard Karls University, Tübingen, Germany
- Institute of Medical Genetics and Applied Genomics, Eberhard Karls University, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Sara Y. Brucker
- Research Institute of Women's Health, Eberhard Karls University, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Madhuri S. Salker
- Research Institute of Women's Health, Eberhard Karls University, Tübingen, Germany
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17
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Maternal Neutrophil Depletion Fails to Avert Systemic Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Early Pregnancy Defects in Mice. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22157932. [PMID: 34360700 PMCID: PMC8347248 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22157932] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2021] [Revised: 07/19/2021] [Accepted: 07/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Maternal infection-induced early pregnancy complications arise from perturbation of the immune environment at the uterine early blastocyst implantation site (EBIS), yet the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we demonstrated in a mouse model that the progression of normal pregnancy from days 4 to 6 induced steady migration of leukocytes away from the uterine decidual stromal zone (DSZ) that surrounds the implanted blastocyst. Uterine macrophages were found to be CD206+ M2-polarized. While monocytes were nearly absent in the DSZ, DSZ cells were found to express monocyte marker protein Ly6C. Systemic endotoxic lipopolysaccharide (LPS) exposure on day 5 of pregnancy led to: (1) rapid (at 2 h) induction of neutrophil chemoattractants that promoted huge neutrophil infiltrations at the EBISs by 24 h; (2) rapid (at 2 h) elevation of mRNA levels of MyD88, but not Trif, modulated cytokines at the EBISs; and (3) dose-dependent EBIS defects by day 7 of pregnancy. Yet, elimination of maternal neutrophils using anti-Ly6G antibody prior to LPS exposure failed to avert LPS-induced EBIS defects allowing us to suggest that activation of Tlr4-MyD88 dependent inflammatory pathway is involved in LPS-induced defects at EBISs. Thus, blocking the activation of the Tlr4-MyD88 signaling pathway may be an interesting approach to prevent infection-induced pathology at EBISs.
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18
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Nellore A, Killian JT, Porrett PM. Memory B Cells in Pregnancy Sensitization. Front Immunol 2021; 12:688987. [PMID: 34276679 PMCID: PMC8278195 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.688987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Accepted: 06/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Memory B cells play an important role in immunity to pathogens as these cells are poised to rapidly differentiate into antibody-secreting cells upon antigen re-encounter. Memory B cells also develop over the course of HLA-sensitization during pregnancy and transplantation. In this review, we discuss the potential contribution of memory B cells to pregnancy sensitization as well as the impact of these cells on transplant candidacy and outcomes. We start by summarizing how B cell subsets are altered in pregnancy and discuss what is known about HLA-specific B cell responses given our current understanding of fetal antigen availability in maternal secondary lymphoid tissues. We then review the molecular mechanisms governing the generation and maintenance of memory B cells during infection - including the role of T follicular helper cells - and discuss the experimental evidence for the development of these cells during pregnancy. Finally, we discuss how memory B cells impact access to transplantation and transplant outcomes for a range of transplant recipients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anoma Nellore
- Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - John T. Killian
- Department of Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Paige M. Porrett
- Department of Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine, Birmingham, AL, United States
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19
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Kozai K, Iqbal K, Moreno-Irusta A, Scott RL, Simon ME, Dhakal P, Fields PE, Soares MJ. Protective role of IL33 signaling in negative pregnancy outcomes associated with lipopolysaccharide exposure. FASEB J 2021; 35:e21272. [PMID: 33423320 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202001782rr] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2020] [Revised: 11/15/2020] [Accepted: 11/30/2020] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Interleukin 33 (IL33) signaling has been implicated in the establishment and maintenance of pregnancy and in pregnancy disorders. The goal of this project was to evaluate the role of IL33 signaling in rat pregnancy. The rat possesses hemochorial placentation with deep intrauterine trophoblast invasion; features also characteristic of human placentation. We generated and characterized a germline mutant rat model for IL33 using CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing. IL33 deficient rats exhibited deficits in lung responses to an inflammatory stimulus (Sephadex G-200) and to estrogen-induced uterine eosinophilia. Female rats deficient in IL33 were fertile and exhibited pregnancy outcomes (gestation length and litter size) similar to wild-type rats. Placental weight was adversely affected by the disruption of IL33 signaling. A difference in pregnancy-dependent adaptations to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) exposure was observed between wild-type and IL33 deficient pregnancies. Pregnancy in wild-type rats treated with LPS did not differ significantly from pregnancy in vehicle-treated wild-type rats. In contrast, LPS treatment decreased fetal survival rate, fetal and placental weights, and increased fetal growth restriction in IL33 deficient rats. In summary, a new rat model for investigating IL33 signaling has been established. IL33 signaling participates in the regulation of placental development and protection against LPS-induced fetal and placental growth restriction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keisuke Kozai
- Institute for Reproduction and Perinatal Research, Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas, KS, USA
| | - Khursheed Iqbal
- Institute for Reproduction and Perinatal Research, Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas, KS, USA
| | - Ayelen Moreno-Irusta
- Institute for Reproduction and Perinatal Research, Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas, KS, USA
| | - Regan L Scott
- Institute for Reproduction and Perinatal Research, Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas, KS, USA
| | - Mikaela E Simon
- Institute for Reproduction and Perinatal Research, Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas, KS, USA
| | - Pramod Dhakal
- Institute for Reproduction and Perinatal Research, Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas, KS, USA
| | - Patrick E Fields
- Institute for Reproduction and Perinatal Research, Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas, KS, USA
| | - Michael J Soares
- Institute for Reproduction and Perinatal Research, Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas, KS, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas, KS, USA.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas, KS, USA.,Center for Perinatal Research, Children's Mercy Research Institute, Children's Mercy, Kansas, MO, USA
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20
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Shreeve N, Depierreux D, Hawkes D, Traherne JA, Sovio U, Huhn O, Jayaraman J, Horowitz A, Ghadially H, Perry JRB, Moffett A, Sled JG, Sharkey AM, Colucci F. The CD94/NKG2A inhibitory receptor educates uterine NK cells to optimize pregnancy outcomes in humans and mice. Immunity 2021; 54:1231-1244.e4. [PMID: 33887202 PMCID: PMC8211638 DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2021.03.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2019] [Revised: 12/13/2020] [Accepted: 03/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The conserved CD94/NKG2A inhibitory receptor is expressed by nearly all human and ∼50% of mouse uterine natural killer (uNK) cells. Binding human HLA-E and mouse Qa-1, NKG2A drives NK cell education, a process of unknown physiological importance influenced by HLA-B alleles. Here, we show that NKG2A genetic ablation in dams mated with wild-type males caused suboptimal maternal vascular responses in pregnancy, accompanied by perturbed placental gene expression, reduced fetal weight, greater rates of smaller fetuses with asymmetric growth, and abnormal brain development. These are features of the human syndrome pre-eclampsia. In a genome-wide association study of 7,219 pre-eclampsia cases, we found a 7% greater relative risk associated with the maternal HLA-B allele that does not favor NKG2A education. These results show that the maternal HLA-B→HLA-E→NKG2A pathway contributes to healthy pregnancy and may have repercussions on offspring health, thus establishing the physiological relevance for NK cell education. Video Abstract
CD94/NKG2A educates uterine NK cells NKG2A-deficient dams display reduced utero-placental hemodynamic adaptations Asymmetric growth restriction and abnormal brain development in NKG2A-deficient dams Non-functional HLA-B→HLA-E→NKG2A pathway exposes women to greater pre-eclampsia risk
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Affiliation(s)
- Norman Shreeve
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, University of Cambridge, National Institute for Health Research Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, Cambridge CB2 0SW, UK; University of Cambridge Centre for Trophoblast Research, Cambridge, UK
| | - Delphine Depierreux
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, University of Cambridge, National Institute for Health Research Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, Cambridge CB2 0SW, UK; University of Cambridge Centre for Trophoblast Research, Cambridge, UK
| | - Delia Hawkes
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, University of Cambridge, National Institute for Health Research Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, Cambridge CB2 0SW, UK
| | | | - Ulla Sovio
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, University of Cambridge, National Institute for Health Research Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, Cambridge CB2 0SW, UK; University of Cambridge Centre for Trophoblast Research, Cambridge, UK
| | - Oisin Huhn
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, University of Cambridge, National Institute for Health Research Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, Cambridge CB2 0SW, UK; University of Cambridge Centre for Trophoblast Research, Cambridge, UK; Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK; AstraZeneca, Granta Park, Cambridge CB21 6GH, UK
| | - Jyothi Jayaraman
- University of Cambridge Centre for Trophoblast Research, Cambridge, UK; Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK; Department of Physiology, Development and Neurobiology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Amir Horowitz
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Precision Immunology Institute and Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - John R B Perry
- MRC Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge UK
| | - Ashley Moffett
- University of Cambridge Centre for Trophoblast Research, Cambridge, UK; Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - John G Sled
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada; Translational Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada
| | - Andrew M Sharkey
- University of Cambridge Centre for Trophoblast Research, Cambridge, UK; Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Francesco Colucci
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, University of Cambridge, National Institute for Health Research Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, Cambridge CB2 0SW, UK; University of Cambridge Centre for Trophoblast Research, Cambridge, UK.
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21
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Iske J, Elkhal A, Tullius SG. The Fetal-Maternal Immune Interface in Uterus Transplantation. Trends Immunol 2021; 41:213-224. [PMID: 32109373 DOI: 10.1016/j.it.2020.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2019] [Revised: 01/10/2020] [Accepted: 01/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Uterus transplants (UTxs) have been performed worldwide. Overall frequencies have been low, but globally initiated UTx programs are expected to increase clinical implementation. The uterus constitutes a unique immunological environment with specific features of tissue renewal and a receptive endometrium. Decidual immune cells facilitate embryo implantation and placenta development. Although UTx adds to the complexity of immunity during pregnancy and transplantation, the procedure provides a unique clinical and experimental model. We posit that understanding the distinct immunological properties at the interface of the transplanted uterus, the fetus and maternal circulation might provide valuable novel insights while improving outcomes for UTx. Here, we discuss immunological challenges and opportunities of UTx affecting mother, pregnancy and healthy livebirths.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasper Iske
- Division of Transplant Surgery, Department of Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Institute of Transplant Immunology, Integrated Research and Treatment Center Transplantation, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Lower Saxony, Germany
| | - Abdallah Elkhal
- Division of Transplant Surgery, Department of Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Stefan G Tullius
- Division of Transplant Surgery, Department of Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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22
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Brady CA, Williams C, Sharps MC, Shelleh A, Batra G, Heazell AEP, Crocker IP. Chronic histiocytic intervillositis: A breakdown in immune tolerance comparable to allograft rejection? Am J Reprod Immunol 2021; 85:e13373. [PMID: 33155353 PMCID: PMC7988544 DOI: 10.1111/aji.13373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2020] [Revised: 10/14/2020] [Accepted: 11/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic histiocytic intervillositis (CHI) is a pregnancy disorder characterized by infiltration of maternal macrophages into the intervillous space of the human placenta, often with accompanying perivillous fibrin deposition. CHI is associated strongly with foetal growth restriction and increased risk of miscarriage and stillbirth. Although rare, affecting 6 in every 10 000 pregnancies beyond 12 weeks' gestation, the rate of recurrence is high at 25%-100%. To date, diagnosis of CHI can only be made post-delivery upon examination of the placenta due to a lack of diagnostic biomarkers, and criteria vary across publications. No treatment options have shown proven efficacy, and CHI remains a serious obstetric conundrum. Although its underlying aetiology is unclear, due to the presence of maternal macrophages and the reported increased incidence in women with autoimmune disease, CHI is hypothesized to be an inappropriate immune response to the semi-allogeneic foetus. Given this lack of understanding, treatment approaches remain experimental with limited rationale. However, there is recent evidence that immunosuppression and antithrombotic therapies may be effective in preventing recurrence of associated adverse pregnancy outcomes. With similarities noted between the pathological features of CHI and acute rejection of solid organ transplants, further investigation of this hypothesis may provide a basis for tackling CHI and other immune-related placental conditions. This review will explore parallels between CHI and allograft rejection and identify areas requiring further confirmation and exploitation of this comparison.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chloe A. Brady
- Tommy's Maternal and Fetal Health Research CentreSt. Mary’s HospitalThe University of ManchesterManchesterUK
| | - Charlotte Williams
- Tommy's Maternal and Fetal Health Research CentreSt. Mary’s HospitalThe University of ManchesterManchesterUK
- University of ExeterExeterUK
| | - Megan C. Sharps
- Tommy's Maternal and Fetal Health Research CentreSt. Mary’s HospitalThe University of ManchesterManchesterUK
| | - Amena Shelleh
- St Mary’s HospitalManchester University NHS Foundation TrustManchesterUK
| | - Gauri Batra
- Paediatric HistopathologyCentral Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation TrustManchesterUK
| | - Alexander E. P. Heazell
- Tommy's Maternal and Fetal Health Research CentreSt. Mary’s HospitalThe University of ManchesterManchesterUK
- St Mary’s HospitalManchester University NHS Foundation TrustManchesterUK
| | - Ian P. Crocker
- Tommy's Maternal and Fetal Health Research CentreSt. Mary’s HospitalThe University of ManchesterManchesterUK
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23
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Lesteberg KE, Fader DS, Beckham JD. Pregnancy Alters Innate and Adaptive Immune Responses to Zika Virus Infection in the Reproductive Tract. JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY (BALTIMORE, MD. : 1950) 2020; 205:3107-3121. [PMID: 33127823 PMCID: PMC7686295 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.2000882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2020] [Accepted: 10/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Recent outbreaks of Zika virus (ZIKV) have been associated with birth defects, including microcephaly and neurologic impairment. However, the mechanisms that confer potential susceptibility to ZIKV during pregnancy remain unclear. We hypothesized that poor outcomes from ZIKV infection during pregnancy are due in part to pregnancy-induced alteration of innate immune cell frequencies and cytokine expression. To examine the impact of pregnancy on innate immune responses, we inoculated immunocompetent pregnant and nonpregnant female C57BL/6 mice with 5 × 105 focus-forming units of ZIKV intravaginally. Innate immune cell frequencies and cytokine expression were measured by flow cytometry at day 3 postinfection. Compared with nonpregnant mice, pregnant mice exhibited higher frequencies of uterine macrophages (CD68+) and CD11c+ CD103+ and CD11c+ CD11b+ dendritic cells. Additionally, ZIKV-infected pregnant mice had lower frequencies of CD45+ IL-12+ and CD11b+ IL-12+ cells in the uterus and spleen. Next, we measured the frequencies of Ag-experienced CD4 (CD4+ CD11a+ CD49d+) and CD8 (CD8lo CD11ahi) T cells at day 10 postinfection to determine the impact of pregnancy-associated changes in innate cellular IL-12 responses on the adaptive immune response. We found that pregnant mice had lower frequencies of uterine Ag-experienced CD4 T cells and ZIKV-infected pregnant mice had lower frequencies of uterine Ag-experienced CD8 T cells compared with ZIKV-infected nonpregnant mice. These data show that pregnancy results in altered innate and adaptive immune responses to ZIKV infection in the reproductive tract of mice and that pregnancy-associated immune modulation may play an important role in the severity of acute ZIKV infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelsey E Lesteberg
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045
| | - Dana S Fader
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045
| | - J David Beckham
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045;
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045
- Department of Neurology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045; and
- Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center, Aurora, CO 80045
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24
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Taglauer ES, Fernandez-Gonzalez A, Willis GR, Reis M, Yeung V, Liu X, Mitsialis SA, Kourembanas S. Mesenchymal stromal cell-derived extracellular vesicle therapy prevents preeclamptic physiology through intrauterine immunomodulation†. Biol Reprod 2020; 104:457-467. [PMID: 33112369 DOI: 10.1093/biolre/ioaa198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2020] [Revised: 09/29/2020] [Accepted: 10/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) are a widely recognized treatment modality for a variety of preclinical disease models and have been transitioned to human clinical trials. We have previously shown in neonatal lung disease that the therapeutic capacity of MSCs is conferred by their secreted extracellular vesicles (MEx), which function primarily through immunomodulation. We hypothesize that MEx have significant therapeutic potential pertinent to immune-mediated gestational diseases. Of particular interest is early-onset preeclampsia, which can be caused by alterations of the maternal intrauterine immune environment. Using a heme-oxygenase-1 null mouse model of pregnancy loss with preeclampsia-like features, we examined the preventative effects of maternal MEx treatment early in pregnancy. Heme oxygenase-1 null females (Hmox1-/-) or wild-type control females were bred in homozygous matings followed by evaluation of maternal and fetal parameters. A single dose of MEx was administered intravenously on gestational day (GD)1 to Hmox1-/- females (Hmox1-/- MEx). Compared with untreated Hmox1-/- females, Hmox1-/- MEx-treated pregnancies showed significant improvement in fetal loss, intrauterine growth restriction, placental spiral artery modification, and maternal preeclamptic stigmata. Biodistribution studies demonstrated that MEx localize to a subset of cells in the preimplantation uterus. Further, mass cytometric (CyTOF) evaluation of utero-placental leukocytes in Hmox1-/- MEx versus untreated pregnancies showed alteration in the abundance, surface marker repertoire, and cytokine profiles of multiple immune populations. Our data demonstrate the therapeutic potential of MEx to optimize the intrauterine immune environment and prevent maternal and fetal sequelae of preeclamptic disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth S Taglauer
- Division of Newborn Medicine and Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Angeles Fernandez-Gonzalez
- Division of Newborn Medicine and Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Gareth R Willis
- Division of Newborn Medicine and Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Monica Reis
- Division of Newborn Medicine and Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Vincent Yeung
- Division of Newborn Medicine and Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Xianlan Liu
- Division of Newborn Medicine and Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - S Alex Mitsialis
- Division of Newborn Medicine and Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Stella Kourembanas
- Division of Newborn Medicine and Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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25
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Wienke J, Brouwers L, van der Burg LM, Mokry M, Scholman RC, Nikkels PG, van Rijn BB, van Wijk F. Human Tregs at the materno-fetal interface show site-specific adaptation reminiscent of tumor Tregs. JCI Insight 2020; 5:137926. [PMID: 32809975 PMCID: PMC7526557 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.137926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2020] [Accepted: 08/12/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Tregs are crucial for maintaining maternal immunotolerance against the semiallogeneic fetus. We investigated the elusive transcriptional profile and functional adaptation of human uterine Tregs (uTregs) during pregnancy. Uterine biopsies, from placental bed (materno-fetal interface) and incision site (control) and blood were obtained from women with uncomplicated pregnancies undergoing cesarean section. Tregs and CD4+ non-Tregs were isolated for transcriptomic profiling by Cel-Seq2. Results were validated on protein and single cell levels by flow cytometry. Placental bed uTregs showed elevated expression of Treg signature markers, including FOXP3, CTLA-4, and TIGIT. Their transcriptional profile was indicative of late-stage effector Treg differentiation and chronic activation, with increased expression of immune checkpoints GITR, TNFR2, OX-40, and 4-1BB; genes associated with suppressive capacity (HAVCR2, IL10, LAYN, and PDCD1); and transcription factors MAF, PRDM1, BATF, and VDR. uTregs mirrored non-Treg Th1 polarization and tissue residency. The particular transcriptional signature of placental bed uTregs overlapped strongly with that of tumor-infiltrating Tregs and was remarkably pronounced at the placental bed compared with uterine control site. In conclusion, human uTregs acquire a differentiated effector Treg profile similar to tumor-infiltrating Tregs, specifically at the materno-fetal interface. This introduces the concept of site-specific transcriptional adaptation of Tregs within 1 organ. Human regulatory T cells at the maternal-fetal interface show uterine site-specific functional adaptation with late-stage effector differentiation, chronic activation, Th1 polarization, and tumor-infiltrating, Treg-like features.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Michal Mokry
- Regenerative Medicine Utrecht.,Laboratory of Clinical Chemistry and Hematology, and
| | | | - Peter Gj Nikkels
- Department of Pathology, Wilhelmina Children's Hospital, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Netherlands
| | - Bas B van Rijn
- Wilhelmina Children's Hospital Birth Center.,Obstetrics and Fetal Medicine, Erasmus MC University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands
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26
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Yasuda I, Shima T, Moriya T, Ikebuchi R, Kusumoto Y, Ushijima A, Nakashima A, Tomura M, Saito S. Dynamic Changes in the Phenotype of Dendritic Cells in the Uterus and Uterine Draining Lymph Nodes After Coitus. Front Immunol 2020; 11:557720. [PMID: 33013926 PMCID: PMC7516021 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.557720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2020] [Accepted: 08/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Dendritic cells (DCs) are essential for successful embryo implantation. However, the properties of uterine DCs (uDCs) during the implantation period are not well characterized. In this study, we investigated the dynamic changes in the uDC phenotypes during the period between coitus and implantation. In virgin mice, we evaluated the expressions of CD103 and XCR1, this is the first report to demonstrate uDCs expressing CD103 in XCR1+cDC1s and XCR1+cDC2s. On day 0.5 post coitus (pc), the number of uterine CD11c+CD103–MHC classIIhighCD86high–mature DCs rapidly increased and then decreased to non-pregnancy levels on days 1.5 and 2.5 pc. On day 3.5 pc just before implantation, the number of CD11c+CD103+MHC class IIdimCD86dim–immature DCs increased in the uterus. The increase in mature uDCs on day 1.5 pc was observed in both allogeneic- and syngeneic mating, suggesting that sexual intercourse, or semen, play a role in this process. Meanwhile, the increase in immature uDCs on day 3.5 pc was only observed in allogeneic mating, suggesting that allo-antigens in the semen contribute to this process. Next, to understand the turnover and migration of uDCs, we monitored DC movement in the uterus and uterine draining lymph nodes (dLNs) using photoconvertible protein Kikume Green Red (KikGR) mice. On day 0.5 pc, uDCs were composed of equal numbers of remaining DCs and migratory DCs. However, on day 3.5 pc, uDCs were primarily composed of migratory DCs, suggesting that most of the uDCs migrate from the periphery just before implantation. Finally, we studied the expression of PD-L2—which induces immunoregulation—on DCs. On day 3.5 pc, PD-L2 was expressed on CD103+-mature and CD103–-mature DCs in the uterus. However, PD-L2 expression on CD103–-immature DCs and CD103+-immature DCs was very low. Furthermore, both remaining and migratory DCs in the uterus and uterus-derived-DCs in the dLNs on day 3.5 pc highly expressed PD-L2 on their surface. Therefore, our study findings provide a better understanding of the dynamic changes occurring in uterine DCs and dLNs in preparation for implantation following allogeneic- and syngeneic mating.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ippei Yasuda
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan.,Laboratory of Immunology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Osaka Ohtani University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Tomoko Shima
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
| | - Taiki Moriya
- Laboratory of Immunology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Osaka Ohtani University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Ryoyo Ikebuchi
- Laboratory of Immunology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Osaka Ohtani University, Osaka, Japan.,Research Fellow of Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yutaka Kusumoto
- Laboratory of Immunology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Osaka Ohtani University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Akemi Ushijima
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
| | - Akitoshi Nakashima
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
| | - Michio Tomura
- Laboratory of Immunology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Osaka Ohtani University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Shigeru Saito
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
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27
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Gordon SM, Nishiguchi MA, Chase JM, Mani S, Mainigi MA, Behrens EM. IFNs Drive Development of Novel IL-15-Responsive Macrophages. JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY (BALTIMORE, MD. : 1950) 2020; 205:1113-1124. [PMID: 32690654 PMCID: PMC7415599 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.2000184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2020] [Accepted: 06/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Disruption in homeostasis of IL-15 is linked to poor maternal and fetal outcomes during pregnancy. The only cells described to respond to IL-15 at the early maternal-fetal interface have been NK cells. We now show a novel population of macrophages, evident in several organs but enriched in the uterus of mice and humans, expressing the β-chain of the IL-15R complex (CD122) and responding to IL-15. CD122+ macrophages (CD122+Macs) are morphologic, phenotypic, and transcriptomic macrophages that can derive from bone marrow monocytes. CD122+Macs develop in the uterus and placenta with kinetics that mirror IFN activity at the maternal-fetal interface. M-CSF permits macrophages to express CD122, and IFNs are sufficient to drive expression of CD122 on macrophages. Neither type I nor type II IFNs are required to generate CD122+Macs, however. In response to IL-15, CD122+Macs activate the ERK signaling cascade and enhance production of proinflammatory cytokines after stimulation with the TLR9 agonist CpG. Finally, we provide evidence of human cells that phenocopy murine CD122+Macs in secretory phase endometrium during the implantation window and in first-trimester uterine decidua. Our data support a model wherein IFNs local to the maternal-fetal interface direct novel IL-15-responsive macrophages with the potential to mediate IL-15 signals critical for optimal outcomes of pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott M Gordon
- Division of Neonatology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104
- Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | - Mailyn A Nishiguchi
- Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | - Julie M Chase
- Division of Rheumatology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104; and
| | - Sneha Mani
- Center for Research on Reproduction and Women's Health, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | - Monica A Mainigi
- Center for Research on Reproduction and Women's Health, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | - Edward M Behrens
- Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104;
- Division of Rheumatology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104; and
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28
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Mahiddine K, Blaisdell A, Ma S, Créquer-Grandhomme A, Lowell CA, Erlebacher A. Relief of tumor hypoxia unleashes the tumoricidal potential of neutrophils. J Clin Invest 2020; 130:389-403. [PMID: 31600172 DOI: 10.1172/jci130952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2019] [Accepted: 10/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs) are increasingly recognized to influence solid tumor development, but why their effects are so context dependent and even frequently divergent remains poorly understood. Using an autochthonous mouse model of uterine cancer and the administration of respiratory hyperoxia as a means to improve tumor oxygenation, we provide in vivo evidence that hypoxia is a potent determinant of tumor-associated PMN phenotypes and direct PMN-tumor cell interactions. Upon relief of tumor hypoxia, PMNs were recruited less intensely to the tumor-bearing uterus, but the recruited cells much more effectively killed tumor cells, an activity our data moreover suggested was mediated via their production of NADPH oxidase-derived reactive oxygen species and MMP-9. Simultaneously, their ability to promote tumor cell proliferation, which appeared to be mediated via their production of neutrophil elastase, was rendered less effective. Relieving tumor hypoxia thus greatly improved net PMN-dependent tumor control, leading to a massive reduction in tumor burden. Remarkably, this outcome was T cell independent. Together, these findings identify key hypoxia-regulated molecular mechanisms through which PMNs directly induce tumor cell death and proliferation in vivo and suggest that the contrasting properties of PMNs in different tumor settings may in part reflect the effects of hypoxia on direct PMN-tumor cell interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karim Mahiddine
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, UCSF, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Adam Blaisdell
- Department of Pathology, NYU School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Stephany Ma
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, UCSF, San Francisco, California, USA
| | | | - Clifford A Lowell
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, UCSF, San Francisco, California, USA.,Biomedical Sciences Program.,ImmunoX Program, and
| | - Adrian Erlebacher
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, UCSF, San Francisco, California, USA.,Biomedical Sciences Program.,ImmunoX Program, and.,Center for Reproductive Sciences, UCSF, San Francisco, California, USA
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29
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Becker J, Tchagou Tchangou GE, Schmidt S, Zelent C, Kahl F, Wilting J. Absence of lymphatic vessels in term placenta. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth 2020; 20:380. [PMID: 32600346 PMCID: PMC7325062 DOI: 10.1186/s12884-020-03073-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2019] [Accepted: 06/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background There has been debate about the existence of lymphatic vessels in placenta. Lymphatic endothelial cell (LEC) markers such as LYVE-1 and podoplanin/D2–40 have been found, although PROX1 has not been detected. The most reliable marker for LECs is the double staining for CD31 and PROX1, which has not been performed yet. Methods We studied three term placentas and dissected them into three areas: i.) basal plate area, ii.) intermediate area, and iii.) chorionic plate area. We used immunofluorescence single and double staining with antibodies against CD31, PROX1, LYVE-1, VEGFR-3, D2–40/PDPN, CD34, CCBE-1, and vimentin, as well as nested PCR, qPCR, Western blot and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Results At TEM level we observed structures that have previously mistakenly been interpreted as lymphatics, however, we did not find any CD31/PROX1 double-positive cells in placenta. Absence of PROX1 was also noted by nested PCR, qPCR and Western blot. Also, LEC marker VEGFR-3 was expressed only in a small number of scattered leukocytes but was absent from vessels. The LEC marker D2–40/PDPN was expressed in most stromal cells, and the LEC marker LYVE-1 was found in a considerable number of stromal cells, but not in endothelial cells, which were positive for CD31, CD34, CCBE-1 and vimentin. Additionally, vimentin was found in stromal cells. Conclusions Our studies clearly show absence of lymphatics in term placenta. We also show that the functional area of the mother’s endometrium is not penetrated by lymphatics in term pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jürgen Becker
- Deparment of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University Medical School Goettingen, UMG, Kreuzbergring 36, 37075, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Gilles E Tchagou Tchangou
- Deparment of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University Medical School Goettingen, UMG, Kreuzbergring 36, 37075, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Sonja Schmidt
- Department of General-, Visceral- and Pediatric Surgery, University Medical Center Goettingen, UMG, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Christina Zelent
- Deparment of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University Medical School Goettingen, UMG, Kreuzbergring 36, 37075, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Fritz Kahl
- Department of General-, Visceral- and Pediatric Surgery, University Medical Center Goettingen, UMG, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Jörg Wilting
- Deparment of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University Medical School Goettingen, UMG, Kreuzbergring 36, 37075, Göttingen, Germany.
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Abstract
Brazilian-born British biologist Dr. Peter Medawar played an integral role in developing the concepts of immunologic rejection and tolerance, which led to him receiving the Nobel Prize "for the discovery of acquired immunologic tolerance" and eventually made organ transplantation a reality. However, at the time of his early work in tolerance, a paradox to his theories was brought to his attention; how was pregnancy possible? Pregnancy resembles organ transplantation in that the fetus, possessing paternal antigens, is a semi-allogeneic graft that can survive without immunosuppression for 9 months. To answer this question, Medawar proposed three hypotheses of how a mother supports her fetus in utero, now known as "Medawar's Paradox." The mechanisms that govern fetomaternal tolerance are still incompletely understood but may provide critical insight into how to achieve immune tolerance in organ transplantation. Here, we review current understanding of the immune factors responsible for fetomaternal tolerance during pregnancy and discuss the potential implications for advances in transplantation science.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria Rendell
- Department of Surgery, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Natalie M Bath
- Department of Surgery, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Todd V Brennan
- Department of Surgery, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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31
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Stadtmauer DJ, Wagner GP. Cooperative inflammation: The recruitment of inflammatory signaling in marsupial and eutherian pregnancy. J Reprod Immunol 2020; 137:102626. [PMID: 31783286 PMCID: PMC7028515 DOI: 10.1016/j.jri.2019.102626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2019] [Revised: 09/19/2019] [Accepted: 10/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The evolution of viviparity in therian mammals, i.e. marsupials and "placental" mammals, occurred by retention of the conceptus in the female reproductive tract and precocious "hatching" from the shell coat. Both eutherian embryo implantation and the opossum embryo attachment reaction are evolutionarily derived from and homologous to a defensive inflammatory process induced after shell coat hatching. However, both lineages, marsupials and placental mammals, have modified the inflammatory response substantially. We review the induction, maintenance, and effects of inflammation throughout pregnancy, with special attention to the role of prostaglandins and the mucosal inflammatory response, both of which likely had roles in early mammalian viviparity. We propose that the key step was not only suppression of the inflammatory response after implantation in placental mammals, but also the transfer of the inflammatory cell-cell communication network to a different set of cell types than in generic inflammation. To support this conclusion we discuss evidence that pro-inflammatory signal production in the opossum is not limited to maternal cells, as expected in bona fide defensive inflammation, but also includes fetal tissues, in a process we term cooperative inflammation. The ways in which the inflammatory reaction was independently modified in these two lineages helps explain major life history differences between extant marsupials and eutherians.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J Stadtmauer
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale Universisty. 165 Prospect Street, New Haven, CT, USA; Yale Systems Biology Institute, Yale University. 850 West Campus Drive, West Haven, CT, USA.
| | - Günter P Wagner
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale Universisty. 165 Prospect Street, New Haven, CT, USA; Yale Systems Biology Institute, Yale University. 850 West Campus Drive, West Haven, CT, USA; Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Yale School of Medicine. 300 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT, USA; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University. 540 East Canfield Avenue, Detroit, MI, USA.
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32
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Monin L, Whettlock EM, Male V. Immune responses in the human female reproductive tract. Immunology 2019; 160:106-115. [PMID: 31630394 DOI: 10.1111/imm.13136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2019] [Revised: 10/15/2019] [Accepted: 10/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Mucosal surfaces are key interfaces between the host and its environment, but also constitute ports of entry for numerous pathogens. The gut and lung mucosae act as points of nutrient and gas exchange, respectively, but the physiological purpose of the female reproductive tract (FRT) is to allow implantation and development of the fetus. Our understanding of immune responses in the FRT has traditionally lagged behind our grasp of the situation at other mucosal sites, but recently reproductive immunologists have begun to make rapid progress in this challenging area. Here, we review current knowledge of immune responses in the human FRT and their heterogeneity within and between compartments. In the commensal-rich vagina, the immune system must allow the growth of beneficial microbes, whereas the key challenge in the uterus is allowing the growth of the semi-allogeneic fetus. In both compartments, these objectives must be balanced with the need to eliminate pathogens. Our developing understanding of immune responses in the FRT will help us develop interventions to prevent the spread of sexually transmitted diseases and to improve outcomes of pregnancy for mothers and babies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leticia Monin
- Immunosurveillance Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Emily M Whettlock
- Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Victoria Male
- Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, Imperial College London, London, UK
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33
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Magatti M, Stefani FR, Papait A, Cargnoni A, Masserdotti A, Silini AR, Parolini O. Perinatal Mesenchymal Stromal Cells and Their Possible Contribution to Fetal-Maternal Tolerance. Cells 2019; 8:E1401. [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] [MESH Headings] [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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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Magatti
- Centro di Ricerca E. Menni, Fondazione Poliambulanza Istituto Ospedaliero, 25124 Brescia, Italy; (M.M.); (F.R.S.); (A.P.); (A.C.); (A.R.S.)
| | - Francesca Romana Stefani
- Centro di Ricerca E. Menni, Fondazione Poliambulanza Istituto Ospedaliero, 25124 Brescia, Italy; (M.M.); (F.R.S.); (A.P.); (A.C.); (A.R.S.)
| | - Andrea Papait
- Centro di Ricerca E. Menni, Fondazione Poliambulanza Istituto Ospedaliero, 25124 Brescia, Italy; (M.M.); (F.R.S.); (A.P.); (A.C.); (A.R.S.)
| | - Anna Cargnoni
- Centro di Ricerca E. Menni, Fondazione Poliambulanza Istituto Ospedaliero, 25124 Brescia, Italy; (M.M.); (F.R.S.); (A.P.); (A.C.); (A.R.S.)
| | - Alice Masserdotti
- Istituto di Anatomia Umana e Biologia Cellulare, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Roma, Italy;
| | - Antonietta Rosa Silini
- Centro di Ricerca E. Menni, Fondazione Poliambulanza Istituto Ospedaliero, 25124 Brescia, Italy; (M.M.); (F.R.S.); (A.P.); (A.C.); (A.R.S.)
| | - Ornella Parolini
- Centro di Ricerca E. Menni, Fondazione Poliambulanza Istituto Ospedaliero, 25124 Brescia, Italy; (M.M.); (F.R.S.); (A.P.); (A.C.); (A.R.S.)
- Istituto di Anatomia Umana e Biologia Cellulare, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Roma, Italy;
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Aikawa S, Deng W, Liang X, Yuan J, Bartos A, Sun X, Dey SK. Uterine deficiency of high-mobility group box-1 (HMGB1) protein causes implantation defects and adverse pregnancy outcomes. Cell Death Differ 2019; 27:1489-1504. [PMID: 31595043 DOI: 10.1038/s41418-019-0429-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2019] [Revised: 09/19/2019] [Accepted: 09/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
A reciprocal communication between the implantation-competent blastocyst and the receptive uterus is essential to successful implantation and pregnancy success. Progesterone (P4) signaling via nuclear progesterone receptor (PR) is absolutely critical for pregnancy initiation and its success in most eutherian mammals. Here we show that a nuclear protein high-mobility group box-1 (HMGB1) plays a critical role in implantation in mice by preserving P4-PR signaling. Conditional deletion of uterine Hmgb1 by a Pgr-Cre driver shows implantation defects accompanied by decreased stromal cell Hoxa10 expression and cell proliferation, two known signatures of inefficient responsiveness of stromal cells to PR signaling in implantation. These mice evoke inflammatory conditions with sustained macrophage accumulation in the stromal compartment on day 4 of pregnancy with elevated levels of macrophage attractants Csf1 and Ccl2. The results are consistent with the failure of exogenous P4 administration to rescue implantation deficiency in the mutant females. These early defects are propagated throughout the course of pregnancy and ultimately result in substantial subfertility. Collectively, the present study provides evidence that nuclear HMGB1 contributes to successful blastocyst implantation by sustaining P4-PR signaling and restricting macrophage accumulation to attenuate harmful inflammatory responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shizu Aikawa
- Division of Reproductive Sciences, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Avenue, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA.,College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, 2600 Clifton Avenue, Cincinnati, OH, 45221, USA
| | - Wenbo Deng
- Division of Reproductive Sciences, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Avenue, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA.,College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, 2600 Clifton Avenue, Cincinnati, OH, 45221, USA.,Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Reproductive Health Research, Medical College of Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, Fujian, China
| | - Xiaohuan Liang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, 483 Wushan Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - Jia Yuan
- Division of Reproductive Sciences, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Avenue, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA.,College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, 2600 Clifton Avenue, Cincinnati, OH, 45221, USA
| | - Amanda Bartos
- Division of Reproductive Sciences, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Avenue, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA.,College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, 2600 Clifton Avenue, Cincinnati, OH, 45221, USA
| | - Xiaofei Sun
- Division of Reproductive Sciences, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Avenue, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA.,College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, 2600 Clifton Avenue, Cincinnati, OH, 45221, USA
| | - Sudhansu K Dey
- Division of Reproductive Sciences, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Avenue, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA. .,College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, 2600 Clifton Avenue, Cincinnati, OH, 45221, USA.
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35
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Frascoli M, Coniglio L, Witt R, Jeanty C, Fleck-Derderian S, Myers DE, Lee TH, Keating S, Busch MP, Norris PJ, Tang Q, Cruz G, Barcellos LF, Gomez-Lopez N, Romero R, MacKenzie TC. Alloreactive fetal T cells promote uterine contractility in preterm labor via IFN-γ and TNF-α. Sci Transl Med 2019; 10:10/438/eaan2263. [PMID: 29695455 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.aan2263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2017] [Revised: 12/13/2017] [Accepted: 04/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Healthy pregnancy is the most successful form of graft tolerance, whereas preterm labor (PTL) may represent a breakdown in maternal-fetal tolerance. Although maternal immune responses have been implicated in pregnancy complications, fetal immune responses against maternal antigens are often not considered. To examine the fetal immune system in the relevant clinical setting, we analyzed maternal and cord blood in patients with PTL and healthy term controls. We report here that the cord blood of preterm infants has higher amounts of inflammatory cytokines and a greater activation of dendritic cells. Moreover, preterm cord blood is characterized by the presence of a population of central memory cells with a type 1 T helper phenotype, which is absent in term infants, and an increase in maternal microchimerism. T cells from preterm infants mount a robust proliferative, proinflammatory response to maternal antigens compared to term infants yet fail to respond to third-party antigens. Furthermore, we show that T cells from preterm infants stimulate uterine myometrial contractility through interferon-γ and tumor necrosis factor-α. In parallel, we found that adoptive transfer of activated T cells directly into mouse fetuses resulted in pregnancy loss. Our findings indicate that fetal inflammation and rejection of maternal antigens can contribute to the signaling cascade that promotes uterine contractility and that aberrant fetal immune responses should be considered in the pathogenesis of PTL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michela Frascoli
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.,Department of Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Lacy Coniglio
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.,Department of Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Russell Witt
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.,Department of Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Cerine Jeanty
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.,Department of Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | | | - Dana E Myers
- Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Tzong-Hae Lee
- Blood Systems Research Institute, San Francisco, CA 94118, USA
| | - Sheila Keating
- Blood Systems Research Institute, San Francisco, CA 94118, USA
| | - Michael P Busch
- Blood Systems Research Institute, San Francisco, CA 94118, USA
| | - Philip J Norris
- Blood Systems Research Institute, San Francisco, CA 94118, USA
| | - Qizhi Tang
- Department of Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Giovanna Cruz
- Division of Epidemiology, Genetic Epidemiology and Genomics Laboratory, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Lisa F Barcellos
- Division of Epidemiology, Genetic Epidemiology and Genomics Laboratory, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Nardhy Gomez-Lopez
- Perinatology Research Branch, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)/National Institutes of Health (NIH)/U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI 48201, USA.,Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Biochemistry, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
| | - Roberto Romero
- Perinatology Research Branch, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)/National Institutes of Health (NIH)/U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.,Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.,Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
| | - Tippi C MacKenzie
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA. .,Department of Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.,Center for Maternal-Fetal Precision Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
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36
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Mulvihill MS, Samy KP, Gao QA, Schmitz R, Davis RP, Ezekian B, Leopardi F, Song M, How T, Williams K, Barbas A, Collins B, Kirk AD. Secondary lymphoid tissue and costimulation-blockade resistant rejection: A nonhuman primate renal transplant study. Am J Transplant 2019; 19:2350-2357. [PMID: 30891931 PMCID: PMC6658331 DOI: 10.1111/ajt.15365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2018] [Revised: 03/02/2019] [Accepted: 03/05/2019] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Naïve T cell activation requires antigen presentation combined with costimulation through CD28, both of which optimally occur in secondary lymphoid tissues such as lymph nodes and the spleen. Belatacept impairs CD28 costimulation by binding its ligands, CD80 and CD86, and in doing so, impairs de novo alloimmune responses. However, in most patients belatacept is ineffective in preventing allograft rejection when used as a monotherapy, and adjuvant therapy is required for control of costimulation-blockade resistant rejection (CoBRR). In rodent models, impaired access to secondary lymphoid tissues has been demonstrated to reduce alloimmune responses to vascularized allografts. Here we show that surgical maneuvers, lymphatic ligation, and splenectomy, designed to anatomically limit access to secondary lymphoid tissues, control CoBRR and facilitate belatacept monotherapy in a nonhuman primate model of kidney transplantation without adjuvant immunotherapy. We further demonstrate that animals sustained on belatacept monotherapy progressively develop an increasingly naïve T and B cell repertoire, an effect that is accelerated by splenectomy and lost at the time of belatacept withdrawal and rejection. These pilot data inform the role of secondary lymphoid tissues on the development of CoBRR and the use of costimulation molecule-focused therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael S Mulvihill
- Department of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Kannan P Samy
- Department of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Qimeng A Gao
- Department of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Robin Schmitz
- Department of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Robert P Davis
- Department of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Brian Ezekian
- Department of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Francis Leopardi
- Department of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Mingqing Song
- Department of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Tam How
- Department of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Kyha Williams
- Department of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Andrew Barbas
- Department of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Bradley Collins
- Department of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Allan D Kirk
- Department of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
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37
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Olmos-Ortiz A, Flores-Espinosa P, Mancilla-Herrera I, Vega-Sánchez R, Díaz L, Zaga-Clavellina V. Innate Immune Cells and Toll-like Receptor-Dependent Responses at the Maternal-Fetal Interface. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20153654. [PMID: 31357391 PMCID: PMC6695670 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20153654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2019] [Revised: 06/26/2019] [Accepted: 06/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
During pregnancy, the placenta, the mother and the fetus exploit several mechanisms in order to avoid fetal rejection and to maintain an immunotolerant environment throughout nine months. During this time, immune cells from the fetal and maternal compartments interact to provide an adequate defense in case of an infection and to promote a tolerogenic milieu for the fetus to develop peacefully. Trophoblasts and decidual cells, together with resident natural killer cells, dendritic cells, Hofbauer cells and other macrophages, among other cell types, contribute to the modulation of the uterine environment to sustain a successful pregnancy. In this review, the authors outlined some of the various roles that the innate immune system plays at the maternal-fetal interface. First, the cell populations that are recruited into gestational tissues and their immune mechanisms were examined. In the second part, the Toll-like receptor (TLR)-dependent immune responses at the maternal-fetal interface was summarized, in terms of their specific cytokine/chemokine/antimicrobial peptide expression profiles throughout pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Olmos-Ortiz
- Departamento de Inmunobioquímica, Instituto Nacional de Perinatología Isidro Espinosa de los Reyes, Ciudad de México 11000, Mexico
| | - Pilar Flores-Espinosa
- Departamento de Inmunobioquímica, Instituto Nacional de Perinatología Isidro Espinosa de los Reyes, Ciudad de México 11000, Mexico
| | - Ismael Mancilla-Herrera
- Departamento de Infectología e Inmunología, Instituto Nacional de Perinatología Isidro Espinosa de los Reyes, Ciudad de México 11000, Mexico
| | - Rodrigo Vega-Sánchez
- Departamento de Nutrición y Bioprogramación, Instituto Nacional de Perinatología Isidro Espinosa de los Reyes, Ciudad de México 11000, Mexico
| | - Lorenza Díaz
- Departamento de Biología de la Reproducción, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Ciudad de México 14080, Mexico
| | - Verónica Zaga-Clavellina
- Departamento de Fisiología y Desarrollo Celular, Instituto Nacional de Perinatología Isidro Espinosa de los Reyes, Ciudad de México 11000, Mexico.
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IL-36 Cytokines: Regulators of Inflammatory Responses and Their Emerging Role in Immunology of Reproduction. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20071649. [PMID: 30987081 PMCID: PMC6479377 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20071649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2019] [Revised: 03/28/2019] [Accepted: 03/28/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The IL-36 subfamily of cytokines has been recently described as part of the IL-1 superfamily. It comprises three pro-inflammatory agonists (IL-36α, IL-36β, and IL-36γ), their receptor (IL-36R), and one antagonist (IL-36Ra). Although expressed in a variety of cells, the biological relevance of IL-36 cytokines is most evident in the communication between epithelial cells, dendritic cells, and neutrophils, which constitute the common triad responsible for the initiation, maintenance, and expansion of inflammation. The immunological role of IL-36 cytokines was initially described in studies of psoriasis, but novel evidence demonstrates their involvement in further immune and inflammatory processes in physiological and pathological situations. Preliminary studies have reported a dynamic expression of IL-36 cytokines in the female reproductive tract throughout the menstrual cycle, as well as their association with the production of immune mediators and cellular recruitment in the vaginal microenvironment contributing to host defense. In pregnancy, alteration of the placental IL-36 axis has been reported upon infection and pre-eclampsia suggesting its pivotal role in the regulation of maternal immune responses. In this review, we summarize current knowledge regarding the regulatory mechanisms and biological actions of IL-36 cytokines, their participation in different inflammatory conditions, and the emerging data on their potential role in normal and complicated pregnancies.
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Bonney EA, Johnson MR. The role of maternal T cell and macrophage activation in preterm birth: Cause or consequence? Placenta 2019; 79:53-61. [PMID: 30929747 DOI: 10.1016/j.placenta.2019.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2019] [Accepted: 03/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The role of the immune system in term (TL) and preterm labor (PTL) is unknown. Despite the fact that globally, PTL remains the most important cause of childhood mortality. Infection, typically of the fetal membranes, termed chorioamnionitis, is the best-understood driver of PTL, but the mechanisms underpinning other causes, including idiopathic and stretch-induced PTL, are unclear, but may well involve activation of the maternal immune system. The final common pathway of placental dysfunction, fetal membrane rupture, cervical dilation and uterine contractions are highly complex processes. At term, choriodecidual rather than myometrial inflammation is thought to drive the onset of labor and similar findings are present in different types of PTL including idiopathic PTL. Although accumulated data has confirmed an association between the immune response and preterm birth, there is yet a need to understand if this response is an initiator or a consequence of tissue-level dysregulation. This review focuses on the potential role of macrophages and T cells in innate and adaptive immunity relevant to preterm birth in humans and animal models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth A Bonney
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences University of Vermont, Larner College of Medicine, Burlington, VT, USA.
| | - Mark R Johnson
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Surgery & Cancer, Imperial College, London, United Kingdom
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40
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Ander SE, Diamond MS, Coyne CB. Immune responses at the maternal-fetal interface. Sci Immunol 2019; 4:eaat6114. [PMID: 30635356 PMCID: PMC6744611 DOI: 10.1126/sciimmunol.aat6114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 339] [Impact Index Per Article: 67.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2018] [Accepted: 11/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Pregnancy poses an immunological challenge because a genetically distinct (nonself) fetus must be supported within the pregnant female for the required gestational period. Placentation, or the establishment of the fetally derived placenta, is a common strategy used by eutherian mammals to protect the fetus and promote its growth. However, the substantial morphological differences of the placental architecture among species suggest that the process of placentation results from convergent evolution. Although there are considerable similarities in placental function across placental mammals, there are important differences that arise owing to species-specific immunological (and other biological) constraints. This Review focuses on the immunological similarities and differences that occur at the maternal-fetal interface in the context of human and mouse pregnancies. We discuss how the decidua and placenta of these different species form key immunological barriers that sustain maternal tolerance yet generate innate immune responses that prevent microbial infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie E Ander
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, USA
- Center for Microbial Pathogenesis, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, USA
| | - Michael S Diamond
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
- Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
- Andrew M. and Jane M. Bursky Center for Human Immunology and Immunotherapy Programs, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Carolyn B Coyne
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, USA.
- Center for Microbial Pathogenesis, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, USA
- Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, USA
- R. K. Mellon Pediatric Research Institute, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, USA
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41
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Robertson SA, Care AS, Moldenhauer LM. Regulatory T cells in embryo implantation and the immune response to pregnancy. J Clin Invest 2018; 128:4224-4235. [PMID: 30272581 DOI: 10.1172/jci122182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 248] [Impact Index Per Article: 41.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
At implantation, the embryo expresses paternally derived alloantigens and evokes inflammation that can threaten reproductive success. To ensure a robust placenta and sustainable pregnancy, an active state of maternal immune tolerance mediated by CD4+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) is essential. Tregs operate to inhibit effector immunity, contain inflammation, and support maternal vascular adaptations, thereby facilitating trophoblast invasion and placental access to the maternal blood supply. Insufficient Treg numbers or inadequate functional competence are implicated in idiopathic infertility and recurrent miscarriage as well as later-onset pregnancy complications stemming from placental insufficiency, including preeclampsia and fetal growth restriction. In this Review, we summarize the mechanisms acting in the conception environment to drive the Treg response and discuss prospects for targeting the T cell compartment to alleviate immune-based reproductive disorders.
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42
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Li Y, Lopez GE, Vazquez J, Sun Y, Chavarria M, Lindner PN, Fredrickson S, Karst N, Stanic AK. Decidual-Placental Immune Landscape During Syngeneic Murine Pregnancy. Front Immunol 2018; 9:2087. [PMID: 30283441 PMCID: PMC6156255 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.02087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2018] [Accepted: 08/23/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Adaptive immune system, principally governed by the T cells-dendritic cells (DCs) nexus, is an essential mediator of gestational fetal tolerance and protection against infection. However, the exact composition and dynamics of DCs and T cell subsets in gestational tissues are not well understood. These are controlled in human physiology by a complex interplay of alloantigen distribution and presentation, cellular/humoral active and passive tolerance, hormones/chemokines/angiogenic factors and their gradients, systemic and local microbial communities. Reductive discrimination of these factors in physiology and pathology of model systems and humans requires simplification of the model and increased resolution of interrogative technologies. As a baseline, we have studied the gestational tissue dynamics in the syngeneic C57BL/6 mice, as the simplest immunological environment, and focused on validating the approach to increased data density and computational analysis pipeline afforded by highly polychromatic flow cytometry and machine learning interpretation. We mapped DC and T cell subsets, and comprehensively examined their maternal (decidual)-fetal (placental) interface dynamics. Both frequency and composition of decidual DCs changed across gestation, with a dramatic increase in myeloid DCs in early pregnancy, and exclusion of plasmacytoid DCs. CD4+ T cells, in contrast, were lower at all gestational ages and an unusual CD4-CD8-TCRαβ+group was prominent at mid-pregnancy. Dimensionality reduction with machine learning-aided clustering revealed that CD4-CD8- T cells were phenotypically different from CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. Additionally, divergence between maternal decidual and fetal placental compartment was prominent, with absence of DCs from the placenta, but not decidua or embryo. These results provide a novel framework and a syngeneic baseline on which the specific role of alloantigen/tolerance, polymicrobial environment, and models of pregnancy pathology can be precisely modeled and analyzed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Li
- Division of Reproductive Sciences, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Gladys E. Lopez
- Division of Reproductive Sciences, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Jessica Vazquez
- Division of Reproductive Sciences, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Yan Sun
- Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Fujian Provincial Maternity and Children's Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Melina Chavarria
- Division of Reproductive Sciences, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Payton N. Lindner
- Division of Reproductive Sciences, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Samantha Fredrickson
- Division of Reproductive Sciences, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Nathan Karst
- Division of Reproductive Sciences, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Aleksandar K. Stanic
- Division of Reproductive Sciences, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
- Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
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43
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Yockey LJ, Iwasaki A. Interferons and Proinflammatory Cytokines in Pregnancy and Fetal Development. Immunity 2018; 49:397-412. [PMID: 30231982 PMCID: PMC6152841 DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2018.07.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 310] [Impact Index Per Article: 51.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2018] [Revised: 05/13/2018] [Accepted: 07/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Successful pregnancy requires carefully-coordinated communications between the mother and fetus. Immune cells and cytokine signaling pathways participate as mediators of these communications to promote healthy pregnancy. At the same time, certain infections or inflammatory conditions in pregnant mothers cause severe disease and have detrimental impacts on the developing fetus. In this review, we examine evidence for the role of maternal and fetal immune responses affecting pregnancy and fetal development, both under homeostasis and following infection. We discuss immune responses that are necessary to promote healthy pregnancy and those that lead to congenital disorders and pregnancy complications, with a particular emphasis on the role of interferons and cytokines. Understanding the contributions of the immune system in pregnancy and fetal development provides important insights into the pathogenesis underlying maternal and fetal diseases and sheds insights on possible targets for therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura J Yockey
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Akiko Iwasaki
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA.
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Abstract
Activated CD8+ lymphocytes infiltrate the brain in response to many viral infections; where some remain stationed long term as memory T cells. Brain-resident memory T cells (bTRM) are positioned to impart immediate defense against recurrent or reactivated infection. The cytokine and chemokine milieu present within a tissue is critical for TRM generation and retention; and reciprocal interactions exist between brain-resident glia and bTRM. High concentrations of TGF-β are found within brain and this cytokine has been shown to induce CD103 (integrin αeβ7) expression. The majority of T cells persisting within brain express CD103, which aids in retention through interaction with E-cadherin. Likewise, cytokines produced by T cells also modulate microglia. The anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-4 has been shown to preferentially polarize microglial cells toward an M2 phenotype, with a corresponding increase in E-cadherin expression. These findings demonstrate that the brain microenvironment, both during and following inflammation, prominently contributes to the role of CD103 in T cell persistence. Further evidence shows that microglia, and astrocytes, upregulate programmed death (PD) ligand 1 during neuroinflammation, likely to limit neuropathology, and the PD-1: PD-L1 pathway also aids in bTRM generation and retention. Upon reactivation of quiescent neurotropic viruses, bTRM may respond to small amounts of de novo-produced viral antigen by rapidly releasing IFN-γ, resulting in interferon-stimulated gene expression in surrounding glia, thereby amplifying activation of a small number of adaptive immune cells into an organ-wide innate antiviral response. While advantageous from an antiviral perspective; over time, recall response-driven, organ-wide innate immune activation likely has cumulative neurotoxic and neurocognitive consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sujata Prasad
- Neurovirology Laboratory, Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - James R Lokensgard
- Neurovirology Laboratory, Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
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45
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Deshmukh H, Way SS. Immunological Basis for Recurrent Fetal Loss and Pregnancy Complications. ANNUAL REVIEW OF PATHOLOGY-MECHANISMS OF DISEASE 2018; 14:185-210. [PMID: 30183507 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-pathmechdis-012418-012743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 103] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Pregnancy stimulates an elaborate assortment of dynamic changes, allowing intimate approximation of genetically discordant maternal and fetal tissues. Although the cellular and molecular details about how this works remain largely undefined, important clues arise from evaluating how a prior pregnancy influences the outcome of a future pregnancy. The risk of complications is consistently increased when complications occurred in a prior pregnancy. Reciprocally, a prior successful pregnancy protects against complications in a future pregnancy. Here, we summarize immunological perturbations associated with fetal loss, with particular focus on how both harmful and protective adaptations may persist in mothers. Immunological aberrancy as a root cause of pregnancy complications is also considered, given their shared overlapping risk factors and the sustained requirement for averting maternal-fetal conflict throughout pregnancy. Understanding pregnancy-induced immunological changes may expose not only new therapeutic strategies for improving pregnancy outcomes but also new facets of how immune tolerance works that may be applicable to other physiological and pathological contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hitesh Deshmukh
- Division of Pulmonary Biology, Center for Inflammation and Tolerance, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio 45267, USA
| | - Sing Sing Way
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio 45267, USA.,Division of Infectious Diseases, Center for Inflammation and Tolerance, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229, USA;
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46
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Zhou JZ, Way SS, Chen K. Immunology of Uterine and Vaginal Mucosae: (Trends in Immunology 39, 302-314, 2018). Trends Immunol 2018. [PMID: 29530651 DOI: 10.1016/j.it.2018.02.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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47
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Nancy P, Siewiera J, Rizzuto G, Tagliani E, Osokine I, Manandhar P, Dolgalev I, Clementi C, Tsirigos A, Erlebacher A. H3K27me3 dynamics dictate evolving uterine states in pregnancy and parturition. J Clin Invest 2018; 128:233-247. [PMID: 29202469 PMCID: PMC5749543 DOI: 10.1172/jci95937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2017] [Accepted: 10/17/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Uncovering the causes of pregnancy complications such as preterm labor requires greater insight into how the uterus remains in a noncontractile state until term and then surmounts this state to enter labor. Here, we show that dynamic generation and erasure of the repressive histone modification tri-methyl histone H3 lysine 27 (H3K27me3) in decidual stromal cells dictate both elements of pregnancy success in mice. In early gestation, H3K27me3-induced transcriptional silencing of select gene targets ensured uterine quiescence by preventing the decidua from expressing parturition-inducing hormone receptors, manifesting type 1 immunity, and most unexpectedly, generating myofibroblasts and associated wound-healing responses. In late gestation, genome-wide H3K27 demethylation allowed for target gene upregulation, decidual activation, and labor entry. Pharmacological inhibition of H3K27 demethylation in late gestation not only prevented term parturition, but also inhibited delivery while maintaining pup viability in a noninflammatory model of preterm parturition. Immunofluorescence analysis of human specimens suggested that similar regulatory events might occur in the human decidua. Together, these results reveal the centrality of regulated gene silencing in the uterine adaptation to pregnancy and suggest new areas in the study and treatment of pregnancy disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrice Nancy
- Department of Pathology, NYU School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Johan Siewiera
- Department of Pathology, NYU School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, and
| | | | - Elisa Tagliani
- Department of Pathology, NYU School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | | | | | - Igor Dolgalev
- Department of Pathology, NYU School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Caterina Clementi
- Department of Pathology, NYU School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | | | - Adrian Erlebacher
- Department of Pathology, NYU School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, and
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48
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Lymphocytes in Placental Tissues: Immune Regulation and Translational Possibilities for Immunotherapy. Stem Cells Int 2017; 2017:5738371. [PMID: 29348758 PMCID: PMC5733952 DOI: 10.1155/2017/5738371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2017] [Accepted: 10/11/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Immune modulation at the fetomaternal interface is crucial to ensure that the fetal allograft is not rejected. In the present review, the focus is to describe basic functions of lymphocyte populations and how they may contribute to fetomaternal immune regulation, as well as determining what proportions and effector functions of these cells are reported to be present in placental tissues in humans. Also explored is the possibility that unique cell populations at the fetomaternal interface may be targets for adoptive cell therapy. Increasing the understanding of immune modulation during pregnancy can give valuable insight into other established fields such as allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and solid organ transplantation. In these settings, lymphocytes are key components that contribute to inflammation and rejection of either patient or donor tissues following transplantation. In contrast, an allogeneic fetus eludes rejection by the maternal immune system.
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49
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Powell RM, Lissauer D, Tamblyn J, Beggs A, Cox P, Moss P, Kilby MD. Decidual T Cells Exhibit a Highly Differentiated Phenotype and Demonstrate Potential Fetal Specificity and a Strong Transcriptional Response to IFN. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2017; 199:3406-3417. [PMID: 28986438 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1700114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2017] [Accepted: 08/30/2017] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Immune tolerance during human pregnancy is maintained by a range of modifications to the local and systemic maternal immune system. Lymphoid infiltration is seen at the implantation site of the fetal-maternal interface, and decidual NK cells have been demonstrated to facilitate extravillous trophoblast invasion into maternal decidua during the first trimester, optimizing hemochorial placentation. However, although there is considerable T cell infiltration of the maternal decidua, the functional properties of this T cell response remain poorly defined. We investigated the specificity and regulation of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells obtained from human third trimester decidua and demonstrated that decidual CD4+ and CD8+ T cells exhibit a highly differentiated effector memory phenotype in comparison with peripheral blood and display increased production of IFN-γ and IL-4. Moreover, decidual T cells proliferated in response to fetal tissue, and depletion of T regulatory cells led to an increase in fetal-specific proliferation. HY-specific T cells were detectable in the decidua of women with male pregnancies and were shown to be highly differentiated. Transcriptional analysis of decidual T cells revealed a unique gene profile characterized by elevated expression of proteins associated with the response to IFN signaling. These data have considerable importance both for the study of healthy placentation and for the investigation of the potential importance of fetal-specific alloreactive immune responses within disorders of pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard M Powell
- Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, Birmingham Health Partners, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, United Kingdom;
| | - David Lissauer
- Centre for Women's and Newborn Health, Birmingham Health Partners, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, United Kingdom
| | - Jennifer Tamblyn
- Centre for Women's and Newborn Health, Birmingham Health Partners, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, United Kingdom.,Centre of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew Beggs
- Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, United Kingdom; and
| | - Philip Cox
- Department of Perinatal Pathology, Centre of Women's and Children's Health, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, United Kingdom
| | - Paul Moss
- Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, Birmingham Health Partners, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, United Kingdom
| | - Mark D Kilby
- Centre for Women's and Newborn Health, Birmingham Health Partners, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, United Kingdom.,Centre of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, United Kingdom
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50
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Limited Colonization Undermined by Inadequate Early Immune Responses Defines the Dynamics of Decidual Listeriosis. Infect Immun 2017; 85:IAI.00153-17. [PMID: 28507070 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00153-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2017] [Accepted: 05/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The bacterial pathogen Listeria monocytogenes causes foodborne systemic disease in pregnant women, which can lead to preterm labor, stillbirth, or severe neonatal disease. Colonization of the maternal decidua appears to be an initial step in the maternal component of the disease as well as bacterial transmission to the placenta and fetus. Host-pathogen interactions in the decidua during this early stage of infection remain poorly understood. Here, we assessed the dynamics of L. monocytogenes infection in primary human decidual organ cultures and in the murine decidua in vivo A high inoculum was necessary to infect both human and mouse deciduas, and the data support the existence of a barrier to initial colonization of the murine decidua. If successful, however, colonization in both species was followed by significant bacterial expansion associated with an inability of the decidua to mount appropriate innate cellular immune responses. The innate immune deficits included the failure of bacterial foci to attract macrophages and NK cells, cell types known to be important for early defenses against L. monocytogenes in the spleen, as well as a decrease in the tissue density of inflammatory Ly6Chi monocytes in vivo These results suggest that the infectivity of the decidua is not the result of an enhanced recruitment of L. monocytogenes to the gestational uterus but rather is due to compromised local innate cellular immune responses.
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