Talk:Maternal Immune
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Cite this page: Hill, M.A. (2024, April 27) Embryology Maternal Immune. Retrieved from https://embryology.med.unsw.edu.au/embryology/index.php/Talk:Maternal_Immune |
2019
Sagrillo-Fagundes L, Bienvenue-Pariseault J, Legembre P & Vaillancourt C. (2019). An insight into the role of the death receptor CD95 throughout pregnancy: Guardian, facilitator, or foe. Birth Defects Res , 111, 197-211. PMID: 30702213 DOI. An insight into the role of the death receptor CD95 throughout pregnancy: Guardian, facilitator, or foe.
Abstract The prototype death receptor CD95 (Fas) and its ligand, CD95L (FasL), have been thoroughly studied due to their role in immune homeostasis and elimination of infected and transformed cells. The fact that CD95 is present in female reproductive cells and modulated during embryogenesis and pregnancy has raised interest in its role in immune tolerance to the fetoplacental unit. CD95 has been shown to be critical for proper embryonic formation and survival. Moreover, altered expression of CD95 or its ligand causes autoimmunity and has also been directly involved in recurrent pregnancy losses and pregnancy disorders. The objective of this review is to summarize studies that evaluate the mechanisms involved in the activation of CD95 to provide an updated global view of its effect on the regulation of the maternal immune system. Modulation of the CD95 system components may be the immune basis of several common pregnancy disorders. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. KEYWORDS: CD95; embryology; immune tolerance; placenta; trophoblast PMID: 30702213
2015
Uterine natural killer cells: supervisors of vasculature construction in early decidua basalis
Reproduction. 2015 Feb;149(2):R91-102. doi: 10.1530/REP-14-0271. Epub 2014 Oct 23.
Rätsep MT1, Felker AM2, Kay VR2, Tolusso L2, Hofmann AP2, Croy BA2.
Abstract
Mammalian pregnancy involves tremendous de novo maternal vascular construction to adequately support conceptus development. In early mouse decidua basalis (DB), maternal uterine natural killer (uNK) cells oversee this process directing various aspects during the formation of supportive vascular networks. The uNK cells recruited to early implantation site DB secrete numerous factors that act in the construction of early decidual vessels (neoangiogenesis) as well as in the alteration of the structural components of newly developing and existing vessels (pruning and remodeling). Although decidual and placental development sufficient to support live births occur in the absence of normally functioning uNK cells, development and structure of implantation site are optimized through the presence of normally activated uNK cells. Human NK cells are also recruited to early decidua. Gestational complications including recurrent spontaneous abortion, fetal growth restriction, preeclampsia, and preterm labor are linked with the absence of human NK cell activation via paternally inherited conceptus transplantation antigens. This review summarizes the roles that mouse uNK cells normally play in decidual neoangiogenesis and spiral artery remodeling in mouse pregnancy and briefly discusses changes in early developmental angiogenesis due to placental growth factor deficiency. © 2015 Society for Reproduction and Fertility.
PMID 25342175
Immune cells in the female reproductive tract
Immune Netw. 2015 Feb;15(1):16-26. doi: 10.4110/in.2015.15.1.16. Epub 2015 Feb 17.
Lee SK1, Kim CJ1, Kim DJ1, Kang JH2.
Abstract
The female reproductive tract has two main functions: protection against microbial challenge and maintenance of pregnancy to term. The upper reproductive tract comprises the fallopian tubes and the uterus, including the endocervix, and the lower tract consists of the ectocervix and the vagina. Immune cells residing in the reproductive tract play contradictory roles: they maintain immunity against vaginal pathogens in the lower tract and establish immune tolerance for sperm and an embryo/fetus in the upper tract. The immune system is significantly influenced by sex steroid hormones, although leukocytes in the reproductive tract lack receptors for estrogen and progesterone. The leukocytes in the reproductive tract are distributed in either an aggregated or a dispersed form in the epithelial layer, lamina propria, and stroma. Even though immune cells are differentially distributed in each organ of the reproductive tract, the predominant immune cells are T cells, macrophages/dendritic cells, natural killer (NK) cells, neutrophils, and mast cells. B cells are rare in the female reproductive tract. NK cells in the endometrium significantly expand in the late secretory phase and further increase their number during early pregnancy. It is evident that NK cells and regulatory T (Treg) cells are extremely important in decidual angiogenesis, trophoblast migration, and immune tolerance during pregnancy. Dysregulation of endometrial/decidual immune cells is strongly related to infertility, miscarriage, and other obstetric complications. Understanding the immune system of the female reproductive tract will significantly contribute to women's health and to success in pregnancy. KEYWORDS: Endometrium; Leukocyte; Natural killer cells; Pregnancy; Regulatory T cells; Reproductive tract
PMID 25713505
Identification of diverse innate lymphoid cells in human decidua
Mucosal Immunol. 2015 Mar;8(2):254-64. doi: 10.1038/mi.2014.63. Epub 2014 Jul 23.
Vacca P1, Montaldo E2, Croxatto D2, Loiacono F3, Canegallo F4, Venturini PL5, Moretta L4, Mingari MC2.
Abstract
Innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) are developmentally related cells that play an important role in innate defenses and tissue remodeling. So far, only natural killer (NK) cells have been identified and functionally characterized in human decidua where they contribute to induction of immune suppression, neo-angiogenesis, and tissue building/remodeling. The presence of other ILC subsets in human decidua has not been yet characterized. Here we identify in human decidua, during early pregnancy, two subsets of decidual group 3 ILC (ILC3), including lymphoid tissue inducer (LTi)-like cells and natural cytotoxicity receptors (NCRs)(+)ILC3 and interferon-(IFN)γ-producing ILC1, different from NK cells. Decidual LTi-like cells produced interleukin -17 (IL-17) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF), while NCR(+)ILC3 released IL-22 and IL-8. Importantly, NCR(+)ILC3 and LTi-like cells established functional interactions with stromal cells. Decidual LTi-like cells differentiated into NCR(+)ILC3, whereas they marginally contributed to NK cell generation. Our data suggest that decidual ILC3 may play a role in innate defenses and in vessel and tissue building, thus contributing to maintenance of pregnancy.
PMID 25052762
http://www.nature.com/mi/journal/v8/n2/full/mi201463a.html
2014
Do uterine natural killer cell numbers in peri-implantation endometrium predict hypertensive disorder in pregnancy in women with a history of reproductive failure?
J Reprod Immunol. 2014 Dec;106:34-40. doi: 10.1016/j.jri.2014.04.005. Epub 2014 Jun 23.
Wong AW1, Archer B2, Mariee N2, Li TC1, Laird SM3.
Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate whether or not increased uterine natural killer (uNK) cell numbers in the peri-implantation endometrium are associated with an increased risk of hypertensive disorders in a subsequent pregnancy. This is a retrospective study including 80 women with a history of unexplained recurrent miscarriage or recurrent implantation failure. Precisely timed endometrial biopsies were obtained from women 7-9 days after the luteinising hormone surge. uNK cells were immunostained for CD56+ and expressed as a percentage of total stromal cells. Patients were defined as having a high uNK cell count if the percentage of total stromal cells was more than 13.9%. Five out of 29 (17.2%) women in the high uNK cell count group and 5 out of 51 (9.8%) women in the normal uNK cell count group developed gestational hypertension. Pre-eclampsia was diagnosed in 2 (6.9%) patients in the high uNK cell count group and 1 (2.0%) patient from the normal uNK cell count group. There was no significant difference in the incidence of either gestational hypertension (P=0.483) and pre-eclampsia (P=0.296) between groups. The overall incidence of hypertensive disease in women with high uNK cell count (24.1%) was two times higher than women with normal uNK cell count (11.8%), but it was not statistically significant (P=0.208). An increased uNK cells count in the peri-implantation period in a cycle prior to conception did not appear to significantly increase the likelihood of hypertensive disease of pregnancy. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved. KEYWORDS: Gestational hypertension; Pre-eclampsia; Recurrent implantation failure; Recurrent miscarriage; Uterine natural killer cell
PMID 25023194
Identification of a novel neutrophil population: proangiogenic granulocytes in second-trimester human decidua
J Immunol. 2014 Sep 15;193(6):3070-9. doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.1303117. Epub 2014 Aug 18.
Amsalem H1, Kwan M2, Hazan A2, Zhang J3, Jones RL4, Whittle W5, Kingdom JC5, Croy BA6, Lye SJ7, Dunk CE8.
Abstract
The maternal leukocytes of the first-trimester decidua play a fundamental role in implantation and early development of the fetus and placenta, yet little is known regarding the second-trimester decidual environment. Our multicolor flow cytometric analyses of human decidual leukocytes detected an elevation in tissue resident neutrophils in the second trimester. These cells in both human and murine samples were spatially restricted to decidua basalis. In comparison with peripheral blood neutrophils (PMNs), the decidual neutrophils expressed high levels of neutrophil activation markers and the angiogenesis-related proteins: vascular endothelial growth factor-A, Arginase-1, and CCL2, similarly shown in tumor-associated neutrophils. Functional in vitro assays showed that second-trimester human decidua conditioned medium stimulated transendothelial PMN invasion, upregulated VEGFA, ARG1, CCL2, and ICAM1 mRNA levels, and increased PMN-driven in vitro angiogenesis in a CXCL8-dependent manner. This study identified a novel neutrophil population with a physiological, angiogenic role in human decidua. Copyright © 2014 by The American Association of Immunologists, Inc.
PMID 25135830
Natural killer cells and regulatory T cells in early pregnancy loss
Int J Dev Biol. 2014;58(2-4):219-29. doi: 10.1387/ijdb.140109ss.
Sharma S.
Abstract
Survival of the allogeneic embryo in the uterus depends on the maintenance of immune tolerance at the maternal-fetal interface. The pregnant uterus is replete with activated maternal immune cells. How this immune tolerance is acquired and maintained has been a topic of intense investigation. The key immune cells that predominantly populate the pregnant uterus are natural killer (NK) cells. In normal pregnancy, these cells are not killers, but rather provide a microenvironment that is pregnancy compatible and supports healthy placentation. In placental mammals, an array of highly orchestrated immune elements to support successful pregnancy outcome has been incorporated. This includes active cooperation between maternal immune cells, particularly NK cells, and trophoblast cells. This intricate process is required for placentation, immune regulation and to remodel the blood supply to the fetus. During the past decade, various types of maternal immune cells have been thought to be involved in cross-talk with trophoblasts and in programming immune tolerance. Regulatory T cells (Tregs) have attracted a great deal of attention in promoting implantation and immune tolerance beyond implantation. However, what has not been fully addressed is how this immune-trophoblast axis breaks down during adverse pregnancy outcomes, particularly early pregnancy loss, and in response to unscheduled inflammation. Intense research efforts have begun to shed light on the roles of NK cells and Tregs in early pregnancy loss, although much remains to be unraveled in order to fully characterize the mechanisms underlying their detrimental activity. An increased understanding of host-environment interactions that lead to the cytotoxic phenotype of these otherwise pregnancy compatible maternal immune cells is important for prediction, prevention and treatment of pregnancy maladies, particularly recurrent pregnancy loss. In this review, we discuss relevant information from experimental and human models that may explain the pregnancy disrupting roles of these pivotal sentinel cells at the maternal-fetal interface.
PMID 25023688
2007
Effect of the conceptus on uterine natural killer cell numbers and function in the mouse uterus during decidualization
Biol Reprod. 2007 Apr;76(4):579-88. Epub 2006 Dec 6.
Herington JL1, Bany BM.
Abstract
Uterine natural killer (uNK) cells are the most abundant lymphocytes in the uterus during early pregnancy and play a role in spiral arteriole modifications. In the present study, we investigated whether uNK cell populations differed between mouse decidua and deciduoma. Histochemical staining using the Dolichos biflorus agglutinin (DBA) lectin was used to identify uNK cells and classify their stages of maturation. We found differences in the pattern of localization and density of uNK cells between the decidua and deciduoma at Days 2-4 after the onset of decidualization. The cells were more distributed and the densities were significantly greater in the mesometrial region of the decidua than in the deciduoma. Using double-labeling for DBA lectin binding and bromodeoxyuridine incorporation, we found that the higher number of uNK cells in the decidua was not due to an increase in uNK cell proliferation. Western blot analyses revealed that the increase in uNK cell number was accompanied by significant increases in the levels of interferon gamma (IFNG) and prointerleukin 18 when a conceptus was present. Vascular morphometry revealed that modifications of the spiral arterioles occurred in the mesometrial decidua but not in the deciduoma, which could be attributed to the differences observed in uNK cell number and IFNG production. The present study demonstrates that differences exist in uNK cell populations between the decidua and deciduoma, providing evidence that the conceptus generates signals that regulate uNK cell number and function in the uterus during implantation.
PMID 17151350
