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Morales-Prieto DM, Wieditz K, Götze J, Pastuschek J, Weber M, Göhner C, Groten T, Markert UR. Transplacental migration of maternal natural killer and T cells assessed by ex vivo human placenta perfusion. Placenta 2024; 146:42-49. [PMID: 38169218 DOI: 10.1016/j.placenta.2023.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2023] [Revised: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The transplacental passage of cells between a mother and her fetus, known as microchimerism, is a less studied process during pregnancy. The frequency of maternal microchimeric cells in fetal tissues in physiological pregnancies and mechanisms responsible for transplacental cell trafficking are poorly understood. This study aimed to evaluate the placental trafficking of maternal peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) using human ex vivo placenta perfusion. METHODS Ten placentas and maternal PBMC were obtained after healthy pregnancies. Flow cytometry was used to characterize PBMC subtypes. They showed a higher percentage of CD3+ T cells compared to CD56+ NK cells. The isolated PBMC were stained with a fluorescent dye and perfused through the maternal circuit of the placenta in an ex vivo perfusion system. Subsequent immunofluorescence staining for CD3+ T cells and CD56+ NK cells was performed on placental tissue sections, and the number of detectable PBMC in different tissue areas was counted using fluorescence microscopy. RESULTS The applied method allowed discrimination of perfused autologous maternal cells from cells resident in the placenta before perfusion. Further, it allows additional immunohistochemical labelling and distinction of immune cell subsets. Perfused PBMC were detected in all analyzed placentas, mostly in contact to the syncytiotrophoblast. CD3+ T cells were identified more frequently than CD56+ NK cells and some CD3+ T cells were found inside fetoplacental tissues and vasculature. The results indicate that also other PBMCs than T or NK cells adhere to or enter villous tissue, but they have not been specified in this analysis. DISCUSSION Previous studies have detected maternal cells in the fetal circulation which we could mimick in our ex vivo placenta perfusion experiments with fluorescence labelled autologous maternal PBMC. The applied experimental settings did not allow comparison of transmigration abilities of PBMC subsets, but slight modifications of the model will permit further studies of cell transfer processes and microchimerism in pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana M Morales-Prieto
- Placenta Lab, Department of Obstetrics, Jena University Hospital, Am Klinikum 1, 07747, Jena, Germany
| | - Kathrin Wieditz
- Placenta Lab, Department of Obstetrics, Jena University Hospital, Am Klinikum 1, 07747, Jena, Germany
| | - Juliane Götze
- Placenta Lab, Department of Obstetrics, Jena University Hospital, Am Klinikum 1, 07747, Jena, Germany
| | - Jana Pastuschek
- Placenta Lab, Department of Obstetrics, Jena University Hospital, Am Klinikum 1, 07747, Jena, Germany
| | - Maja Weber
- Placenta Lab, Department of Obstetrics, Jena University Hospital, Am Klinikum 1, 07747, Jena, Germany
| | - Claudia Göhner
- Placenta Lab, Department of Obstetrics, Jena University Hospital, Am Klinikum 1, 07747, Jena, Germany
| | - Tanja Groten
- Placenta Lab, Department of Obstetrics, Jena University Hospital, Am Klinikum 1, 07747, Jena, Germany
| | - Udo R Markert
- Placenta Lab, Department of Obstetrics, Jena University Hospital, Am Klinikum 1, 07747, Jena, Germany.
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Moore AR, Vivanco Gonzalez N, Plummer KA, Mitchel OR, Kaur H, Rivera M, Collica B, Goldston M, Filiz F, Angelo M, Palmer TD, Bendall SC. Gestationally dependent immune organization at the maternal-fetal interface. Cell Rep 2022; 41:111651. [PMID: 36384130 PMCID: PMC9681661 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.111651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2021] [Revised: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The immune system and placenta have a dynamic relationship across gestation to accommodate fetal growth and development. High-resolution characterization of this maternal-fetal interface is necessary to better understand the immunology of pregnancy and its complications. We developed a single-cell framework to simultaneously immuno-phenotype circulating, endovascular, and tissue-resident cells at the maternal-fetal interface throughout gestation, discriminating maternal and fetal contributions. Our data reveal distinct immune profiles across the endovascular and tissue compartments with tractable dynamics throughout gestation that respond to a systemic immune challenge in a gestationally dependent manner. We uncover a significant role for the innate immune system where phagocytes and neutrophils drive temporal organization of the placenta through remarkably diverse populations, including PD-L1+ subsets having compartmental and early gestational bias. Our approach and accompanying datasets provide a resource for additional investigations into gestational immunology and evoke a more significant role for the innate immune system in establishing the microenvironment of early pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amber R Moore
- Immunology Graduate Program, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Pathology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Neurosurgery, Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Nora Vivanco Gonzalez
- Immunology Graduate Program, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Pathology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Neurosurgery, Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Katherine A Plummer
- Department of Neurosurgery, Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Olivia R Mitchel
- Department of Neurosurgery, Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Harleen Kaur
- Department of Neurosurgery, Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Moises Rivera
- Department of Neurosurgery, Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Brian Collica
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Mako Goldston
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Ferda Filiz
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Michael Angelo
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Theo D Palmer
- Department of Neurosurgery, Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
| | - Sean C Bendall
- Immunology Graduate Program, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Pathology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
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Blaisdell A, Zhou Y, Kattah MG, Fisher SJ, Mahadevan U. Vedolizumab Antagonizes MAdCAM-1-Dependent Human Placental Cytotrophoblast Adhesion and Invasion In Vitro. Inflamm Bowel Dis 2022; 28:1219-1228. [PMID: 35349682 DOI: 10.1093/ibd/izac056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/09/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Anti-α4β7 (Vedolizumab) treats inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) by blocking the interaction between integrin α4β7 on leukocytes and mucosal addressin cell-adhesion molecule-1 (MAdCAM-1) on the gut endothelium. Women with IBD often require continuing biologic therapy during pregnancy to avoid disease flare. To date, there have been no reports of an increase in adverse events with Vedolizumab use during pregnancy. Notably, integrins play a major role in human placental development during pregnancy. It is unknown whether Vedolizumab disrupts placental cell (cytotrophoblast) invasion and/or adhesion by blocking interactions with MAdCAM-1. We therefore investigated human placental expression of MAdCAM-1, the role of MAdCAM-1/α4β7 interactions in cytotrophoblast invasion/adhesion in vitro, and whether Vedolizumab administration in vivo alters the placental structure. METHODS Histological sections of placentas from normal pregnancies were evaluated for MAdCAM-1 expression by immunofluorescence. The impacts of Vedolizumab or anti-integrin β7 on human cytotrophoblast invasion and adhesion were assessed. Histology results from term placentas of 2 patients with IBD receiving Vedolizumab were compared to those of untreated healthy controls. RESULTS Placental MAdCAM-1 expression was predominantly associated with invading extravillous cytotrophoblasts at the maternal-fetal interface. Treatment of isolated primary cytotrophoblasts with Vedolizumab or anti-integrin β7 significantly reduced Matrigel invasion, adherence to a MAdCAM-1-coated substrate, and interactions with HuT-78 cells. Placentas from 2 Vedolizumab-treated patients with IBD exhibited pronounced pathologic features as compared to healthy control specimens. CONCLUSIONS This study revealed a previously unrecognized role for α4β7 and MAdCAM-1 in human placentation. More clinical and histological data from Vedolizumab-treated pregnant patients will be necessary to determine whether this medication poses any risk to the mother and fetus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam Blaisdell
- *Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Yan Zhou
- Center for Reproductive Sciences, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of California San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Michael G Kattah
- *Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Susan J Fisher
- Center for Reproductive Sciences, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of California San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Uma Mahadevan
- *Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
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High maternal BMI and low maternal blood BDNF may determine the limit of detection of amniotic fluid BDNF throughout gestation: Analysis of mother-fetus trios and literature review. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0265186. [PMID: 35271679 PMCID: PMC8912268 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0265186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2021] [Accepted: 02/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective An increasing number of studies show the importance of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) acting at the feto-placental interface, however, only a few studies describe BDNF levels in amniotic fluid (AF). Methods In this cross-sectional, prospective study, 109 maternal blood-amniotic fluid pairs (including 66 maternal blood-fetal-blood-amniotic fluid trios) were analyzed. BDNF concentrations were measured with a commercially available immunoassay. Results In 71 AF from 109 samples, AF-BDNF concentrations were below the lowest limit of Quantitation (LLoQ) of 1.19 pg/ml (group A), leaving 38 samples with measurable BDNF concentrations (group B). Patients in group A showed significantly higher maternal BMI before pregnancy (mean±SD 26.3± 6.7 (kg/m2) vs. 23.8 ±4.5 (kg/m2) p = 0.04) and lower maternal blood BDNF concentrations than the other group (mean±SD 510.6 ± 554.7 pg/ml vs. mean±SD 910.1± 690.1 pg/ml; p<0.0001). Spearman correlation showed a negative correlation between maternal BMI before pregnancy and maternal BDNF concentrations (r = -0.25, p = 0.01). Conclusion Our study is the first to correlate AF-BDNF samples with the corresponding maternal and fetal blood-BDNF samples. The significant negative correlation between maternal BMI before pregnancy and maternal BDNF and AF-BDNF concentrations below the limit of detection has to be evaluated in further studies.
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Murrieta-Coxca JM, Aengenheister L, Schmidt A, Markert UR, Buerki-Thurnherr T, Morales-Prieto DM. Addressing microchimerism in pregnancy by ex vivo human placenta perfusion. Placenta 2021; 117:78-86. [PMID: 34773744 DOI: 10.1016/j.placenta.2021.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Revised: 10/07/2021] [Accepted: 10/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The physical connection of mother and offspring during pregnancy allows the bi-directional exchange of a small number of cells through the placenta. These cells, which can persist long-term in the recipient individual are genetically foreign to it and therefore fulfill the principle of microchimerism. Over the last years, pioneer research on microchimeric cells revealed their role in immune adaptation during pregnancy and priming of tolerogenic responses in the progeny. However, the mechanisms involved in cell transfer across the placenta barrier remain poorly investigated. In this review, we summarize the evidence of fetomaternal microchimerism, propose a mechanism for cell trafficking through the placenta and discuss the different models and techniques available for its analysis. Likewise, we aim to generate interest in the use of ex vivo placenta perfusion to investigate microchimerism in physiological and pathological settings.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Leonie Aengenheister
- Laboratory for Particles-Biology Interactions, Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, St. Gallen, Switzerland
| | - Astrid Schmidt
- Placenta Lab, Department of Obstetrics, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
| | - Udo R Markert
- Placenta Lab, Department of Obstetrics, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany.
| | - Tina Buerki-Thurnherr
- Laboratory for Particles-Biology Interactions, Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, St. Gallen, Switzerland
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Fontoura MA, Rocha RF, Marques RE. Neutrophil Recruitment and Participation in Severe Diseases Caused by Flavivirus Infection. Life (Basel) 2021; 11:717. [PMID: 34357089 PMCID: PMC8304117 DOI: 10.3390/life11070717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2021] [Revised: 07/15/2021] [Accepted: 07/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Neutrophils are first-line responders to infections and are recruited to target tissues through the action of chemoattractant molecules, such as chemokines. Neutrophils are crucial for the control of bacterial and fungal infections, but their role in the context of viral infections has been understudied. Flaviviruses are important human viral pathogens transmitted by arthropods. Infection with a flavivirus may result in a variety of complex disease manifestations, including hemorrhagic fever, encephalitis or congenital malformations. Our understanding of flaviviral diseases is incomplete, and so is the role of neutrophils in such diseases. Here we present a comprehensive overview on the participation of neutrophils in severe disease forms evolving from flavivirus infection, focusing on the role of chemokines and their receptors as main drivers of neutrophil function. Neutrophil activation during viral infection was shown to interfere in viral replication through effector functions, but the resulting inflammation is significant and may be detrimental to the host. For congenital infections in humans, neutrophil recruitment mediated by CXCL8 would be catastrophic. Evidence suggests that control of neutrophil recruitment to flavivirus-infected tissues may reduce immunopathology in experimental models and patients, with minimal loss to viral clearance. Further investigation on the roles of neutrophils in flaviviral infections may reveal unappreciated functions of this leukocyte population while increasing our understanding of flaviviral disease pathogenesis in its multiple forms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Alves Fontoura
- Brazilian Biosciences National Laboratory—LNBio, Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials—CNPEM, Campinas 13083-100, Brazil; (M.A.F.); (R.F.R.)
- Cellular and Structural Biology Graduate Program, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas 13083-865, Brazil
| | - Rebeca Fróes Rocha
- Brazilian Biosciences National Laboratory—LNBio, Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials—CNPEM, Campinas 13083-100, Brazil; (M.A.F.); (R.F.R.)
- Genetics and Molecular Biology Graduate Program, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas 13083-970, Brazil
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Rafael Elias Marques
- Brazilian Biosciences National Laboratory—LNBio, Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials—CNPEM, Campinas 13083-100, Brazil; (M.A.F.); (R.F.R.)
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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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8
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Choriodecidual leukocytes display a unique gene expression signature in spontaneous labor at term. Genes Immun 2018; 20:56-68. [PMID: 29362510 PMCID: PMC6358585 DOI: 10.1038/s41435-017-0010-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2017] [Revised: 11/01/2017] [Accepted: 11/16/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Prior to and during the process of human labor, maternal circulating leukocytes infiltrate the maternal-fetal interface (choriodecidua) and become activated resembling choriodecidual leukocytes. Since, there is no evidence comparing maternal circulating and choriodecidual leukocytes, herein, we characterized their transcriptome and explored the biological processes enriched in choriodecidual leukocytes. From women undergoing spontaneous term labor we isolated circulating and choriodecidual leukocytes, performed microarray analysis (n = 5) and qRT-PCR validation (n = 9) and interaction network analysis with up-regulated genes. We found 270 genes up-regulated and only 17 genes down-regulated in choriodecidual leukocytes compared to maternal circulating leukocytes. The most up-regulated genes were CCL18, GPNMB, SEPP1, FN1, RNASE1, SPP1, C1QC, and PLTP. The biological processes enriched in choriodecidual leukocytes were cell migration and regulation of immune response, chemotaxis, and humoral immune responses. Our results show striking differences between the transcriptome of choriodecidual and maternal circulating leukocytes. Choriodecidual leukocytes are enriched in immune mediators implicated in the spontaneous process of labor at term.
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Abstract
The active form of vitamin D (1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3), 1,25[OH](2)D(3)) has well-established effects on bone metabolism and mineral homeostasis. However, recently it has become clear that 1,25(OH)(2)D(3) has potent antiproliferative and immunomodulatory actions that are not immediately linked to its role as a skeletal regulator. Both the nuclear receptor for 1,25(OH)(2)D(3) (vitamin D receptor, VDR) and the vitamin D-activating enzyme 1alpha-hydroxylase are expressed in a wide variety of nonclassic tissues, highlighting the potential for local autocrine-paracrine responses rather than traditional endocrine effects. Prominent among the tissues that express 1alpha-hydroxylase is the placenta-decidua, and this has raised important questions concerning the potential role of locally generated 1,25(OH)(2)D(3) as a modulator of fetal-placental development and function. When bound to the VDR, 1,25(OH)(2)D(3) regulates key target genes associated with implantation, such as HOXA10, whereas the potent immunosuppressive effects of 1,25(OH)(2)D(3) suggest a role in implantation tolerance. These observations are further supported by data from our group showing increased expression of 1alpha-hydroxylase and VDR in first-trimester trophoblast and decidua from human pregnancies. Studies by other groups have reported abnormal expression of 1alpha-hydroxylase in preeclamptic pregnancies, revealing a potential role for 1,25(OH)(2)D(3) as a regulator of placentation. The effect of vitamin D on reproduction has been further endorsed by murine gene knockout models for 1alpha-hydroxylase and VDR, both of which are infertile. These observations and others are discussed in this article in which we postulate an active role for 1,25(OH)(2)D(3) in placenta-decidua. In particular, we describe how induction of the vitamin D-activating enzyme 1alpha-hydroxylase in early gestation might provide a mechanism by which environmental or dietary vitamin D can influence fetal-placental development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katie N Evans
- Division of Medical Sciences, Institute of Biomedical Research, The University of Birmingham, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham B15 2TH, United Kingdom
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10
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López C, Comabella M, Tintoré M, Sastre-Garriga J, Montalban X. Variations in chemokine receptor and cytokine expression during pregnancy in multiple sclerosis patients. Mult Scler 2016; 12:421-7. [PMID: 16900755 DOI: 10.1191/1352458506ms1287oa] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Although several T cell-mediated autoimmune diseases have shown a reduction in their clinical disease activity during pregnancy, the underlying mechanisms by which pregnancy causes such a beneficial effect on the disease activity are not fully understood. We performed a longitudinal study of chemokine receptors (CCR3, CCR4, CCR5, CXCR3, CXCR4) by flow cytometry in different subsets of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) during pregnancy in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. The levels of cytokine mRNA expression (IL-10, IFN-g) were also investigated by real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. The expression of CXCR3 by CD4 and CD8 positive T cells was decreased to a statistically significant extent during the second trimester of pregnancy. CD4 and CD8 T cells showed a statistically significant increase in the expression of CXCR4 during the third trimester of pregnancy. At the mRNA expression level, an increase in the IL-10/IFN-g ratio was observed during pregnancy, especially during the third trimester. These findings indicate immunomodulatory effects of pregnancy on the expression of chemokine receptors and cytokines, which may be related to changes in the clinical disease activity of T cell-mediated autoimmune diseases, such as MS.
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MESH Headings
- Adult
- B-Lymphocytes/metabolism
- B-Lymphocytes/physiology
- CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes/metabolism
- CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes/physiology
- CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes/metabolism
- CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes/physiology
- Female
- Gene Expression/immunology
- Humans
- Interferon-gamma/genetics
- Interleukin-10/genetics
- Killer Cells, Natural/metabolism
- Killer Cells, Natural/physiology
- Monocytes/metabolism
- Monocytes/physiology
- Multiple Sclerosis/immunology
- Pregnancy
- Pregnancy Complications/immunology
- RNA, Messenger/metabolism
- Receptors, CCR3
- Receptors, CCR4
- Receptors, CCR5/genetics
- Receptors, CCR5/metabolism
- Receptors, CXCR3
- Receptors, CXCR4/genetics
- Receptors, CXCR4/metabolism
- Receptors, Chemokine/genetics
- Receptors, Chemokine/metabolism
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Affiliation(s)
- C López
- Unitat de Neuroimmunologia Clinica, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron (HUVH), Barcelona, Spain
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11
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Wang X, Khatri S, Broaddus R, Wang Z, Hawkins SM. Deletion of Arid1a in Reproductive Tract Mesenchymal Cells Reduces Fertility in Female Mice. Biol Reprod 2016; 94:93. [PMID: 26962117 PMCID: PMC4861168 DOI: 10.1095/biolreprod.115.133637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2015] [Accepted: 03/03/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Women with endometriosis can suffer from decreased fecundity or complete infertility via abnormal oocyte function or impaired placental-uterine interactions required for normal pregnancy establishment and maintenance. Although AT-rich interactive domain 1A (SWI-like) (ARID1A) is a putative tumor suppressor in human endometrial cancers and endometriosis-associated ovarian cancers, little is known about its role in normal uterine function. To study the potential function of ARID1A in the female reproductive tract, we generated mice with a conditional knockout of Arid1a using anti-Müllerian hormone receptor 2-Cre. Female Arid1a conditional knockout mice exhibited a progressive decrease in number of pups per litter, with a precipitous decline after the second litter. We observed no tumors in virgin mice, although one knockout mouse developed a uterine tumor after pregnancy. Unstimulated virgin female knockout mice showed normal oviductal, ovarian, and uterine histology. Uteri of Arid1a knockout mice showed a normal decidualization response and appropriate responses to estradiol and progesterone stimulation. In vitro studies using primary cultures of human endometrial stromal fibroblasts revealed that small interfering RNA knockdown of ARID1A did not affect decidualization in vitro. Timed pregnancy studies revealed the significant resorption of embryos at Embryonic Day 16.5 in knockout mice in the third pregnancy. In addition to evidence of implantation site hemorrhage, pregnant Arid1a knockout mice showed abnormal placental morphology. These results suggest that Arid1a supports successful pregnancy through its role in placental function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiyin Wang
- Indiana University, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Indianapolis, Indiana
| | - Shikha Khatri
- Baylor College of Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Houston, Texas
| | - Russell Broaddus
- University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Department of Pathology, Houston, Texas
| | - Zhong Wang
- University of Michigan, Department of Cardiac Surgery, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Shannon M Hawkins
- Indiana University, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Indianapolis, Indiana
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Zavan B, do Amarante-Paffaro AM, Paffaro VA. alpha-actin down regulation and perforin loss in uterine natural killer cells from LPS-treated pregnant mice. Physiol Res 2016; 64:427-32. [PMID: 26066976 DOI: 10.33549/physiolres.932923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
One of the most abundant immunologic cell types in early decidua is the uterine natural killer (UNK) cell that despite the presence of cytoplasmic granules rich in perforin and granzymes does not degranulate in normal pregnancy. UNK cells are important producers of angiogenic factors that permit normal dilation of uterine arteries to provide increased blood flow for the growing feto-placental unit. Gram-negative bacteria lipopolysaccharide (LPS) administration can trigger an imbalance of pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines impairing the normal immune cells activity as well as uterine homeostasis. The present study aimed to evaluate by immunohistochemistry the reactivity of perforin and alpha-actin on UNK cell from LPS-treated pregnant mice. For the first time, we demonstrate that LPS injection in pregnant mice causes alpha-actin down regulation, concomitantly with perforin loss in UNK cells. This suggests that LPS alters UNK cell migration and activates cytotoxic granule release.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Zavan
- Biomedical Science Institute, Federal University of Alfenas, Alfenas, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
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Norwitz ER, Bonney EA, Snegovskikh VV, Williams MA, Phillippe M, Park JS, Abrahams VM. Molecular Regulation of Parturition: The Role of the Decidual Clock. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med 2015; 5:a023143. [PMID: 25918180 PMCID: PMC4632866 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a023143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
The timing of birth is a critical determinant of perinatal outcome. Despite intensive research, the molecular mechanisms responsible for the onset of labor both at term and preterm remain unclear. It is likely that a "parturition cascade" exists that triggers labor at term, that preterm labor results from mechanisms that either prematurely stimulate or short-circuit this cascade, and that these mechanisms involve the activation of proinflammatory pathways within the uterus. It has long been postulated that the fetoplacental unit is in control of the timing of birth through a "placental clock." We suggest that it is not a placental clock that regulates the timing of birth, but rather a "decidual clock." Here, we review the evidence in support of the endometrium/decidua as the organ primarily responsible for the timing of birth and discuss the molecular mechanisms that prime this decidual clock.
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Affiliation(s)
- Errol R Norwitz
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts 02111 Mother Infant Research Institute (MIRI), Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts 02110
| | - Elizabeth A Bonney
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont 05405
| | - Victoria V Snegovskikh
- Division of Reproductive Endocrinology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Women and Infants Hospital of Rhode Island, Providence, Rhode Island 02905
| | - Michelle A Williams
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts 02115
| | - Mark Phillippe
- Vincent Center for Reproductive Biology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02114
| | - Joong Shin Park
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 110-799, Korea
| | - Vikki M Abrahams
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06510
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Wegorzewska M, Le T, Tang Q, MacKenzie TC. Increased maternal T cell microchimerism in the allogeneic fetus during LPS-induced preterm labor in mice. CHIMERISM 2015; 5:68-74. [PMID: 25779065 DOI: 10.1080/19381956.2014.1002703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Fetal surgery is a promising strategy to treat fetuses with severe congenital abnormalities but its clinical applications are often limited by preterm labor. In normal pregnancy, multiple mechanisms protect the semi-allogeneic fetus from attack by maternal T cells. Maternal microchimerism (the presence of maternal cells in the fetus) has been suggested to be one mechanism of maternal-fetal tolerance in that it exposes the fetus to non-inherited maternal antigens and leads to the generation of fetal regulatory T cells that can suppress a maternal T cell response. Preterm labor may represent a breakdown of this robust tolerance network. We hypothesized that during inflammation-associated preterm labor, maternal leukocytes cross the maternal-fetal interface and enter the fetal circulation. Consistent with this hypothesis, we found that during preterm labor in mice, the percentage of maternal microchimerism in fetal blood increased and the frequency of fetuses with high levels of trafficking (greater than 0.5%) also increased. Finally, we showed that the maternal leukocytes trafficking into the fetus are primarily Gr-1(+) cells in both syngeneic and allogeneic pregnancy, while T cell trafficking into the fetus specifically increases during allogeneic pregnancies. Our results demonstrate that trafficking of maternal leukocytes during pregnancy is altered during preterm labor. Such alterations may be clinically significant in affecting maternal-fetal tolerance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Wegorzewska
- a Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research ; San Francisco , CA USA.,b The Department of Surgery ; University of California ; San Francisco , CA , USA
| | - Tom Le
- a Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research ; San Francisco , CA USA.,b The Department of Surgery ; University of California ; San Francisco , CA , USA
| | - Qizhi Tang
- b The Department of Surgery ; University of California ; San Francisco , CA , USA
| | - Tippi C MacKenzie
- a Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research ; San Francisco , CA USA.,b The Department of Surgery ; University of California ; San Francisco , CA , USA
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Lima PDA, Zhang J, Dunk C, Lye SJ, Croy BA. Leukocyte driven-decidual angiogenesis in early pregnancy. Cell Mol Immunol 2014; 11:522-37. [PMID: 25066422 DOI: 10.1038/cmi.2014.63] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2014] [Revised: 06/21/2014] [Accepted: 06/22/2014] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Successful pregnancy and long-term, post-natal maternal and offspring cardiac, vascular and metabolic health require key maternal cardiovascular adaptations over gestation. Within the pregnant decidualizing uterus, coordinated vascular, immunological and stromal cell changes occur. Considerable attention has been given to the roles of uterine natural killer (uNK) cells in initiating decidual spiral arterial remodeling, a process normally completed by mid-gestation in mice and in humans. However, leukocyte roles in much earlier, region specific, decidual vascular remodeling are now being defined. Interest in immune cell-promoted vascular remodeling is driven by vascular aberrations that are reported in human gestational complications such as infertility, recurrent spontaneous abortion, preeclampsia (PE) and fetal growth restriction. Appropriate maternal cardiovascular responses during pregnancy protect mothers and their children from later cardiovascular disease risk elevation. One of the earliest uterine responses to pregnancy in species with hemochorial placentation is stromal cell decidualization, which creates unique niches for angiogenesis and leukocyte recruitment. In early decidua basalis, the aspect of the implantation site that will cradle the developing placenta and provide the major blood vessels to support mature placental functions, leukocytes are greatly enriched and display specialized properties. UNK cells, the most abundant leukocyte subset in early decidua basalis, have angiogenic abilities and are essential for normal early decidual angiogenesis. The regulation of uNK cells and their roles in determining maternal and progeny cardiovascular health over pregnancy and postpartum are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia D A Lima
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, The Ottawa Hospital General Campus, Critical Care Wing, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Jianhong Zhang
- Research Centre for Women's and Infants' Health, Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Caroline Dunk
- Research Centre for Women's and Infants' Health, Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Stephen J Lye
- 1] Research Centre for Women's and Infants' Health, Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada [2] Department of Physiology and University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada [3] Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - B Anne Croy
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada
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Mathad JS, Bhosale R, Sangar V, Mave V, Gupte N, Kanade S, Nangude A, Chopade K, Suryavanshi N, Deshpande P, Kulkarni V, Glesby MJ, Fitzgerald D, Bharadwaj R, Sambarey P, Gupta A. Pregnancy differentially impacts performance of latent tuberculosis diagnostics in a high-burden setting. PLoS One 2014; 9:e92308. [PMID: 24658103 PMCID: PMC3962385 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0092308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2013] [Accepted: 02/21/2014] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Targeted screening for latent TB infection (LTBI) in vulnerable populations is a recommended TB control strategy. Pregnant women are at high risk for developing TB and likely to access healthcare, making pregnancy an important screening opportunity in developing countries. The sensitivity of the widely-used tuberculin skin test (TST), however, may be reduced during pregnancy. Methods We performed a cross-sectional study comparing the TST with the QuantiFERON Gold In-tube (QGIT) in 401 HIV-negative women presenting antepartum (n = 154), at delivery (n = 148), or postpartum (n = 99) to a government hospital in Pune, India. A subset of 60 women enrolled during pregnancy was followed longitudinally and received both tests at all three stages of pregnancy. Results The QGIT returned significantly more positive results than the TST. Of the 401 women in the cross-sectional study, 150 (37%) had a positive QGIT, compared to 59 (14%) for the TST (p<0.005). Forty-nine (12%) did not have their TST read. Of 356 who had both results available, 46 (13%) were concordant positive, 91 (25%) were discordant (12 (3%) TST+/QGIT-; 79 (22%) TST−/QGIT+), and 206 (57%) concordant negative. Comparison by stage of pregnancy revealed that QGIT percent positivity remained stable between antepartum and delivery, unlike TST results (QGIT 31–32% vs TST 11–17%). Median IFN-γ concentration was lower at delivery than in antepartum or postpartum (1.66 vs 2.65 vs 8.99 IU/mL, p = 0.001). During postpartum, both tests had significantly increased positives (QGIT 31% vs 32% vs 52%, p = 0.01; TST 17% vs 11% vs 25%, p<0.005). The same trends were observed in the longitudinal subset. Conclusions Timing and choice of LTBI test during pregnancy impact results. QGIT was more stable and more closely approximated the LTBI prevalence in India. But pregnancy stage clearly affects both tests, raising important questions about how the complex immune changes brought on by pregnancy may impact LTBI screening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jyoti S. Mathad
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York, United States of America
- * E-mail: (JSM); (AG)
| | - Ramesh Bhosale
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Byramjee Jeejeebhoy Government Medical College- Sassoon General Hospital, Pune, Maharashtra, India
| | - Vikrant Sangar
- Byramjee Jeejeebhoy Government Medical College- Johns Hopkins Clinical Trials Unit, Pune, Maharashtra, India
| | - Vidya Mave
- Byramjee Jeejeebhoy Government Medical College- Johns Hopkins Clinical Trials Unit, Pune, Maharashtra, India
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Nikhil Gupte
- Byramjee Jeejeebhoy Government Medical College- Johns Hopkins Clinical Trials Unit, Pune, Maharashtra, India
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Savita Kanade
- Byramjee Jeejeebhoy Government Medical College- Johns Hopkins Clinical Trials Unit, Pune, Maharashtra, India
| | - Ashwini Nangude
- Byramjee Jeejeebhoy Government Medical College- Johns Hopkins Clinical Trials Unit, Pune, Maharashtra, India
| | - Kavita Chopade
- Byramjee Jeejeebhoy Government Medical College- Johns Hopkins Clinical Trials Unit, Pune, Maharashtra, India
| | - Nishi Suryavanshi
- Byramjee Jeejeebhoy Government Medical College- Johns Hopkins Clinical Trials Unit, Pune, Maharashtra, India
| | - Prasad Deshpande
- Byramjee Jeejeebhoy Government Medical College- Johns Hopkins Clinical Trials Unit, Pune, Maharashtra, India
| | - Vandana Kulkarni
- Byramjee Jeejeebhoy Government Medical College- Johns Hopkins Clinical Trials Unit, Pune, Maharashtra, India
| | - Marshall J. Glesby
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Daniel Fitzgerald
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Renu Bharadwaj
- Department of Microbiology, Byramjee Jeejeebhoy Government Medical College- Sassoon General Hospital, Pune, Maharashtra, India
| | - Pradeep Sambarey
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Byramjee Jeejeebhoy Government Medical College- Sassoon General Hospital, Pune, Maharashtra, India
| | - Amita Gupta
- Byramjee Jeejeebhoy Government Medical College- Johns Hopkins Clinical Trials Unit, Pune, Maharashtra, India
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
- * E-mail: (JSM); (AG)
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17
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Hayashi K, Kusakabe KT, Sugimoto S, Wakitani S, Sugi S, Kuniyoshi N, Hiyama M, Takeshita A, Kano K, Kiso Y. Influence of atopic dermatitis on reproduction and uterine natural killer cells. J Vet Med Sci 2014; 76:913-6. [PMID: 24572632 PMCID: PMC4108779 DOI: 10.1292/jvms.13-0547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The causal relationship between severe allergic conditions and successful
pregnancy remains unclear. We aimed to evaluate reproductive performance in an
experimental mouse model of atopic disease (AD), and the appearance of uterine natural
killer (uNK) cells that have crucial roles in placental formation was examined. In the
NC/Nga pregnant mice with moderate skin allergic lesions and an 8.6-fold elevation of
plasma IgE, significant differences were not detected in the reproductive indices of the
number of normal fetuses, abortion rate and placental size. There were few uNK cells in
the placenta of AD mice, and they showed a significant decrease regarding the immature
subtype as compared with controls. These findings revealed that AD disturbs uNK cell
differentiation and provides disadvantageous effects on placental formation, although it
does not arrest the pregnancy process. It may be possible that specific immunological
conditions behind AD operate favorably to recover the reproductive performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazuhiko Hayashi
- Laboratory of Basic Veterinary Science, the United Graduate School of Veterinary Science, Joint Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Yamaguchi University, Yamaguchi 753-8515, Japan
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18
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Gomez-Lopez N, Vega-Sanchez R, Castillo-Castrejon M, Romero R, Cubeiro-Arreola K, Vadillo-Ortega F. Evidence for a role for the adaptive immune response in human term parturition. Am J Reprod Immunol 2013; 69:212-30. [PMID: 23347265 PMCID: PMC3600361 DOI: 10.1111/aji.12074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 119] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2012] [Accepted: 12/17/2012] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
PROBLEM Spontaneous labor at term involves leukocyte recruitment and infiltration into the choriodecidua; yet, characterization of these leukocytes and their immunological mediators is incomplete. The purpose of this study was to characterize the immunophenotype of choriodecidual leukocytes as well as the expression of inflammatory mediators in human spontaneous parturition at term. METHOD OF STUDY Choriodecidual leukocytes were analyzed by FACS, immunohistochemistry, and RT-PCR in three different groups: (i) preterm gestation delivered for medical indications without labor; (ii) term pregnancy without labor; and (iii) term pregnancy after spontaneous labor. RESULTS Two T-cell subsets of memory-like T cells (CD3(+) CD4(+) CD45RO(+) and CD3(+) CD4(-) CD8(-) CD45RO(+) cells) were identified in the choriodecidua of women who had spontaneous labor. Evidence for an extensive immune signaling network composed of chemokines (CXCL8 and CXCL10), chemokine receptors (CXCR1-3), cytokines (IL-1β and TNF-α), cell adhesion molecules, and MMP-9 was identified in these cells during spontaneous labor at term. CONCLUSIONS The influx of memory-like T cells in the choriodecidua and the evidence that they are active by producing chemokines and cytokines, and expressing chemokine receptors, cell adhesion molecules, and a matrix-degrading enzyme provides support for the participation of the adaptive immune system in the mechanisms of spontaneous parturition at term.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nardhy Gomez-Lopez
- Research Direction and Department of Nutrition Research, Instituto Nacional de Perinatologia Isidro Espinosa de los Reyes, Mexico City, Mexico.
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Sakurai T, Bai H, Bai R, Arai M, Iwazawa M, Zhang J, Konno T, Godkin JD, Okuda K, Imakawa K. Coculture System That Mimics In Vivo Attachment Processes in Bovine Trophoblast Cells1. Biol Reprod 2012; 87:60. [DOI: 10.1095/biolreprod.112.100180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022] Open
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20
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Soares MJ, Chakraborty D, Karim Rumi MA, Konno T, Renaud SJ. Rat placentation: an experimental model for investigating the hemochorial maternal-fetal interface. Placenta 2012; 33:233-43. [PMID: 22284666 DOI: 10.1016/j.placenta.2011.11.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 158] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2011] [Revised: 11/23/2011] [Accepted: 11/28/2011] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The rat possesses hemochorial placentation with deep intrauterine trophoblast cell invasion and trophoblast-directed uterine spiral artery remodeling; features shared with human placentation. Recognition of these similarities spurred the establishment of in vitro and in vivo research methods using the rat as an animal model to address mechanistic questions regarding development of the hemochorial placenta. The purpose of this review is to provide the requisite background to help move the rat to the forefront in placentation research.
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Affiliation(s)
- M J Soares
- Institute for Reproductive Health and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, 3901 Rainbow Blvd, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA.
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21
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Zhang J, Chen Z, Fritz JH, Rochman Y, Leonard WJ, Gommerman JL, Plumb AW, Abraham N, Croy BA. Unusual timing of CD127 expression by mouse uterine natural killer cells. J Leukoc Biol 2012; 91:417-26. [PMID: 22227963 DOI: 10.1189/jlb.1011501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Decidualization, a progesterone-dependent process that alters endometrial stromal cells at implantation sites in humans and rodents, is accompanied by a highly regulated, NK cell-dominated leukocyte influx into decidual basalis (DB). Whether uNK cells differentiate from uterine progenitor cells is unknown, as are the mechanisms restricting leukocytes to DB. We asked if cells expressing the early NK lineage marker CD127 (IL-7Rα) occurred in mouse decidua. CD127 was absent from gd6.5 decidual lymphoid cells but became expressed by a mature uNK cell subset in gd10.5 DB. DB and transient myometrial structures (MLAp) that ring maternal blood vessels supplying placentae expressed IL-7 and TSLP, the CD127 ligands, but with differing temporal and spatial patterns. UNK cells expressed TSLPR, and study of gd10.5 implantation sites from mice deleted for IL-7, CD127, or TSLPR suggested that IL-7 and its receptor have physiological roles in limiting expansion of immature uNK cells within MLAp, while the TSLP signaling pathway is used in DB to sustain IFN-γ production from a subset of mature uNK cells. Regionalized, dynamic expression of the additional lymphoid organ stromal markers gp38/podoplanin and ER-TR7, but not CD157, were seen by immunohistochemistry in implantation sites, and DB and MLAp contained transcripts for Aire, a tolerance-promoting factor. These observations suggest that CD127(+) NK lineage progenitors are not present in the early postimplantation period of mouse uterus and that decidualized endometrial stroma has key immunoregulatory properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianhong Zhang
- Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, 25 Orde St., Toronto, ON, Canada.
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Tagliani E, Erlebacher A. Dendritic cell function at the maternal-fetal interface. Expert Rev Clin Immunol 2011; 7:593-602. [PMID: 21895472 DOI: 10.1586/eci.11.52] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the evolutionary adaptation of the immune system to the developing fetus and placenta represents one of the most fascinating problems in reproductive biology. Recent work has focused on how the behavior of dendritic cells (DCs) is altered at the maternal-fetal interface to suit the unique requirements of pregnancy. This work has provided a significant new perspective into the long-standing immunological paradox of fetomaternal tolerance, and has opened up a new and intriguing area of research into the potential trophic role of uterine DCs in the peri-implantation period. Further research on the biology of uterine DCs promises to give insight into the pathogenesis of many clinically important disorders of pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Tagliani
- Department of Pathology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
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23
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Gomez-Lopez N, Vadillo-Perez L, Hernandez-Carbajal A, Godines-Enriquez M, Olson DM, Vadillo-Ortega F. Specific inflammatory microenvironments in the zones of the fetal membranes at term delivery. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2011; 205:235.e15-24. [PMID: 21763637 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajog.2011.04.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2011] [Revised: 04/08/2011] [Accepted: 04/11/2011] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to examine the histologic and immunologic differences between fetal membrane zones after membrane rupture at term delivery. STUDY DESIGN Fetal membrane explants from postrupture zones (periplacental, middle, rupture) were obtained from women following spontaneous vaginal delivery at term (n = 5). Tissues for histology, protein extracts, and RNA were isolated. RESULTS The collagen distribution decreased and the leukocyte density increased from the periplacental zone to the rupture zone. T cells were mainly present in the rupture zone and granulocytes in the middle zone. CXCL10, CXCR1, ICAM-1, -2, PSEL, tumor necrosis factor alpha, and matrix metalloproteinase-9 levels were higher in the middle zone than in the rupture zone and periplacental zone (P < .021). Interleukin-1beta and CXCL8 levels were higher in the rupture zone than in the middle zone and periplacental zone (P = .018 and P < .0001). CONCLUSION During labor specific immunologic microenvironments are created in the zones of the fetal membrane that may be involved in their rupture at the end of gestation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nardhy Gomez-Lopez
- Instituto Nacional de Perinatologia Isidro Espinosa de los Reyes, Mexico City, Mexico.
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Solano ME, Jago C, Pincus MK, Arck PC. Highway to health; or How prenatal factors determine disease risks in the later life of the offspring. J Reprod Immunol 2011; 90:3-8. [PMID: 21641655 DOI: 10.1016/j.jri.2011.01.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2010] [Revised: 01/24/2011] [Accepted: 01/27/2011] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Fetal development is largely dependent on the mother. However, pregnancy maintenance and consequently fetal development are highly vulnerable and sensitive to disruption, triggered by, for example, prenatal stress challenge. Such prenatal stress challenge modulates the maternal endocrine and immune responses during pregnancy e.g. by decreasing levels of progesterone. Prenatal stress also has negative repercussions for the child's health later in life. It has been reported that prenatal stress increases the risk of the child to develop chronic immune diseases such as allergies and asthma. We therefore propose that prenatal stress challenge - associated with a decrease in maternal progesterone - impairs fetal immune development (immune ontogeny). Such impaired immune ontogeny carries over into postnatal life, rendering the child more prone to developing chronic immune diseases. This purported association urgently requires a fresh evaluation in order to identify biomarkers and cascades of events. In the present review, we outline candidate biomarkers involved in fetal immune ontogeny, which may be targets of prenatal stress challenge and subsequently determine offspring disease risk. Identification of these stress-sensitive biomarkers may allow detection of pregnant women at risk to deliver chronic immune disease-prone offspring. The creation of therapeutic interventions designed to prevent negative consequences of prenatal stress would then be within reach.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Emilia Solano
- University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Laboratory for Experimental Feto-Maternal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Fetal Medicine, Martinistr. 52, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
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Prados MB, Solano ME, Friebe A, Blois S, Arck P, Miranda S. Stress increases VCAM-1 expression at the fetomaternal interface in an abortion-prone mouse model. J Reprod Immunol 2011; 89:207-11. [PMID: 21529964 DOI: 10.1016/j.jri.2011.01.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2010] [Revised: 01/24/2011] [Accepted: 01/29/2011] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Sound stress exposure increases fetal loss via inflammatory pathways. Inflammation is known to up-regulate cell adhesion molecules, such as vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1), which mediates the adhesion of leukocytes to the vascular endothelium. In this work, we studied the frequency of VCAM-1(+) vessels at the fetomaternal interface in stressed and non-stressed pregnant CBA/J female mice mated with DBA/2J (high fetal loss model) or BALB/c (low fetal loss model) males. The high fetal loss model had fewer large vessels on gestation day 6.5, and stress reduced the frequency of large vessels to a similar number in both high and low fetal loss models. In the high fetal loss model, however, the frequency of VCAM-1+ vessels was dramatically increased. This study shows that VCAM-1 expression is modulated by stress at the fetomaternal interface in abortion-prone cross-breeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- M B Prados
- GlycoImmunoBiology Laboratory, Instituto de Investigaciones Cardiológicas Prof. Dr. Alberto C. Taquini (ININCA), CONICET - Universidad de Buenos Aires, Marcelo T. de Alvear 2270 2°, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires C1122AAJ, Argentina
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Troeger C, Perahud I, Moser S, Holzgreve W. Transplacental traffic after in utero mesenchymal stem cell transplantation. Stem Cells Dev 2011; 19:1385-92. [PMID: 20131967 DOI: 10.1089/scd.2009.0434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Transplacental traffic of fetal progenitor and differentiated cells is a well-known phenomenon in pregnancies. We hypothesize that intrauterine stem cell transplantation leads to microchimerism in the dams and that this is gestational age-dependent. EGFP+ fetal liver-derived mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) (10(5) per fetus) were injected intraperitoneally into congeneic and allogeneic recipient fetuses at E12 versus E13.5 of murine pregnancy (56 dams). Engraftment in maternal organs was evaluated using TaqMan quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and fluorescence microscopy during pregnancy (1, 3, and 7 days after in utero transplantation [IUT]) and after delivery (1 and 4 weeks after delivery). One day after IUT donor cells were mainly found in the placenta (E12: 9/10 dams vs. E13.5: 4/8 dams) and laparotomy site (E12: 5/10 dams vs. E13.5: 4/8 dams). Three days after IUT these probabilities decreased significantly in the placenta to 3/8 and 1/3, respectively, whereas it was increased within the surgical wound to 8/8 and 2/4. One week after IUT donor cells could be detected in other single maternal organs, such as bone marrow or spleen. The surgical wound was chimeric in all dams. One week after delivery the surgical wound was still a major site of engraftment in both groups. E12 IUT resulted in detectable donor cell microchimerism in the maternal bone marrow (3/4), liver (2/4), lungs (1/4), spleen (1/4), and thymus (1/4), whereas engraftment probabilities were lower following E13.5 IUT (BM: 1/4, liver: 2/4, lungs: 1/4, spleen: 1/4, thymus: 0/4). At 4 weeks after delivery persistent microchimerism was found only after E12 IUT in various maternal organs (BM: 1/4, spleen: 1/4, lungs: 1/4) and within newly created surgical wounds (3/4), but completely not in the E13.5 group. Allogeneic IUT did also not result in any detectable long-term fetal microchimerism. An earlier IUT might lead to a higher transplacental traffic of donor MSC and persistent microchimerism within maternal tissues. Even 4 weeks after delivery, these cells are present in surgical wounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolyn Troeger
- Laboratory for Prenatal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland.
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Zhang J, Chen Z, Smith GN, Croy BA. Natural killer cell-triggered vascular transformation: maternal care before birth? Cell Mol Immunol 2011; 8:1-11. [PMID: 20711229 PMCID: PMC3079746 DOI: 10.1038/cmi.2010.38] [Citation(s) in RCA: 156] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2010] [Revised: 06/15/2010] [Accepted: 06/18/2010] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cells are found in lymphoid and non-lymphoid organs. In addition to important roles in immune surveillance, some NK cells contribute to angiogenesis and circulatory regulation. The uterus of early pregnancy is a non-lymphoid organ enriched in NK cells that are specifically recruited to placental attachment sites. In species with invasive hemochorial placentation, these uterine natural killer (uNK) cells, via secretion of cytokines, chemokines, mucins, enzymes and angiogenic growth factors, contribute to the physiological change of mesometrial endometrium into the unique stromal environment called decidua basalis. In humans, uNK cells have the phenotype CD56(bright)CD16(dim) and they appear in great abundance in the late secretory phase of the menstrual cycle and early pregnancy. Gene expression studies indicate that CD56(bright)CD16(dim) uterine and circulating cells are functionally distinct. In humans but not mice or other species with post-implantation decidualization, uNK cells may contribute to blastocyst implantation and are of interest as therapeutic targets in female infertility. Histological and genetic studies in mice first identified triggering of the process of gestation spiral arterial modification as a major uNK cell function, achieved via interferon (IFN)-γ secretion. During spiral arterial modification, branches from the uterine artery that traverse the endometrium/decidua transiently lose their muscular coat and ability to vasoconstrict. The expression of vascular markers changes from arterial to venous as these vessels dilate and become low-resistance, high-volume channels. Full understanding of the vascular interactions of human uNK cells is difficult to obtain because endometrial time-course studies are not possible in pregnant women. Here we briefly review key information concerning uNK cell functions from studies in rodents, summarize highlights concerning human uNK cells and describe our preliminary studies on development of a humanized, pregnant mouse model for in vivo investigations of human uNK cell functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianhong Zhang
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada
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Hazan AD, Smith SD, Jones RL, Whittle W, Lye SJ, Dunk CE. Vascular-leukocyte interactions: mechanisms of human decidual spiral artery remodeling in vitro. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PATHOLOGY 2010; 177:1017-30. [PMID: 20558572 DOI: 10.2353/ajpath.2010.091105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 123] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Transformation of uterine spiral arteries is critical for healthy human pregnancy. We recently proposed a role for maternal leukocytes in decidual spiral artery remodeling and suggested that matrix metalloprotease (MMP) activity contributed to the destruction of the arterial wall. In the current study we used our first trimester placental-decidual co-culture (PDC) model to define the temporal relationship and test the mechanistic aspects of this process. PDC experiments were assessed by image analysis over a six-day time-course for degree of vascular transformation and leukocyte distribution around progressively remodeled arterioles. We observed rapid transformation in PDCs associated with loss of vascular smooth muscle cells, widening of the vessel lumen, and significant accumulation of uterine Natural Killer cells and macrophages within the vascular wall (P < 0.001) before trophoblast presence in the vessel lumens. These events did not occur in decidua-only cultures. Active MMP-9 was detected in leukocytes and vascular cells of remodeling arterioles, and inhibition of MMP-2/9 activity in PDC resulted in failure of decidual vascular remodeling compared with vehicle-treated PDCs. Apoptosis of vascular cells, macrophage-mediated phagocytosis, and vascular smooth muscle cell dedifferentiation contributed to the remodeling observed. The PDC model indicates that placental presence is required to initiate decidual spiral artery remodeling but that uterine Natural Killer cells and macrophages mediate the early stages of this process at the cellular level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleah D Hazan
- Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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29
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Gomez-Lopez N, Guilbert LJ, Olson DM. Invasion of the leukocytes into the fetal-maternal interface during pregnancy. J Leukoc Biol 2010; 88:625-33. [DOI: 10.1189/jlb.1209796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 134] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
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30
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Karsten CM, Behrends J, Wagner AK, Fuchs F, Figge J, Schmudde I, Hellberg L, Kruse A. DC within the pregnant mouse uterus influence growth and functional properties of uterine NK cells. Eur J Immunol 2009; 39:2203-14. [DOI: 10.1002/eji.200838844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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31
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Karsten CM, Kruse A. The Role of Vascular Addressins in Implantations Sites During Successful and Failing Mouse Pregnancies. Immunol Invest 2009; 37:449-66. [DOI: 10.1080/08820130802191250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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32
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Collins MK, Tay CS, Erlebacher A. Dendritic cell entrapment within the pregnant uterus inhibits immune surveillance of the maternal/fetal interface in mice. J Clin Invest 2009; 119:2062-73. [PMID: 19546507 DOI: 10.1172/jci38714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 111] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2009] [Accepted: 04/22/2009] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Embryo implantation induces formation of the decidua, a stromal cell-derived structure that encases the fetus and placenta. Using the mouse as a model organism, we have found that this tissue reaction prevents DCs stationed at the maternal/fetal interface from migrating to the lymphatic vessels of the uterus and thus reaching the draining lymph nodes. Strikingly, decidual DCs remained immobile even after being stimulated with LPS and exhibiting responsiveness to CCL21, the chemokine that drives DC entry into lymphatic vessels. An analysis of maternal T cell reactivity toward a surrogate fetal/placental antigen furthermore revealed that regional T cell responses toward the fetus and placenta were driven by passive antigen transport and thus the tolerogenic mode of antigen presentation that predominates when there is negligible input from tissue-resident DCs. Indeed, the lack of involvement of tissue-resident DCs in the T cell response to the fetal allograft starkly contrasts with their prominent role in organ transplant rejection. Our results suggest that DC entrapment within the decidua minimizes immunogenic T cell exposure to fetal/placental antigens and raise the possibility that impaired development or function of the human decidua, which unlike that of the mouse contains lymphatic vessels, might lead to pathological T cell activation during pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary K Collins
- Department of Pathology, New York University School of Medicine, 550 First Avenue, New York, New York, USA
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Time-Course Analyses Addressing the Acquisition of DBA Lectin Reactivity in Mouse Lymphoid Organs and Uterus During the First Week of Pregnancy. Placenta 2008; 29:1009-15. [DOI: 10.1016/j.placenta.2008.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2008] [Revised: 09/06/2008] [Accepted: 09/10/2008] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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34
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Behrends J, Karsten CM, Wilke S, Röbke A, Kruse A. Identification of ITGA4/ITGB7 and ITGAE/ITGB7 Expressing Subsets of Decidual Dendritic-Like Cells Within Distinct Microdomains of the Pregnant Mouse Uterus1. Biol Reprod 2008; 79:624-32. [DOI: 10.1095/biolreprod.107.067041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022] Open
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35
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Alam SMK, Konno T, Sahgal N, Lu L, Soares MJ. Decidual cells produce a heparin-binding prolactin family cytokine with putative intrauterine regulatory actions. J Biol Chem 2008; 283:18957-68. [PMID: 18467328 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m801826200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Pregnancy in mice and rats is associated with the production of a large family of hormones/cytokines related to prolactin (PRL). The hormones/cytokines are hypothesized to coordinate maternal and fetal adaptations to pregnancy. In this study, PRL-like protein-J (PLP-J, also known as PRL family 3, subfamily c, member 1 (Prl3c1)) is shown to be a product of the uterine decidua and a regulator of postimplantation intrauterine events. PLP-J-specific antibodies and a series of recombinant PLP-J proteins were generated and used to investigate PLP-J expression and as ligands for investigating biological targets. Decidual PLP-J migrates as a 29-kDa protein and localizes to a band of decidual cells surrounding the trophoblast cell layer on gestation day 8.5. PLP-J ligands specifically bound in situ to the surrounding uterine stromal cells and vasculature within the decidua of gestation day 8.5 implantation sites. We then investigated the in vitro actions of PLP-J on uterine stromal cells and endothelial cells. PLP-J specifically interacted with both cell populations. PLP-J promoted uterine stromal cell proliferation and inhibited endothelial cell proliferation. We determined that PLP-J does not interact with PRL receptors. Instead, PLP-J interacts with heparin-containing molecules, including syndecan-1, which is expressed in gestation day 8.5 pregnant uteri, as well as in uterine stromal cells and endothelial cells. The restricted expression of PLP-J and its specific interactions with uterine stromal cells and endothelial cells suggests that it acts locally and regulates decidual cell development and the endometrial vasculature.
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Affiliation(s)
- S M Khorshed Alam
- Institute of Maternal-Fetal Biology, Department of Pathology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas 66160, USA
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Abstract
Murine uterine natural killer (uNK) cells are transient, short-lived, terminally differentiated lymphocytes found in decidualized endometrium. Cells expressing natural killer cell surface markers are present in uteri of infant mice. Terminal uNK cell differentiation coincides with mesometrial decidual development subsequent to blastocyst implantation and begins about gestation day 5. uNK cells proliferate rapidly and, within 3 days, senescent uNK cells appear in normal implantation sites. Mid-gestation, senescent cells become dominant and uNK cell numbers decline until term when remaining cells are shed with the placenta. Transplantable uNK cell progenitors occur outside the uterus, suggesting that blood cell homing augments any in-utero progenitors. Early in healthy pregnancies, uNK cells produce cytokines and angiogenic molecules. Their lytic capacity in normal gestation and in pregnancy failure is incompletely defined. A significant shift recently occurred in thinking about major uNK cell functions. Activated uNK cells are now considered critical for appropriate endometrial angiogenesis in early implantation site development and in non-gestational endometrium. Because analogous cells appear in the endometria of women during each menstrual cycle and become abundant in early pregnancy, studies involving experimental pregnancy termination in genetically manipulated mice continue to have great importance for understanding regulation at the human maternal-fetal interface.
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Fernekorn U, Butcher EC, Behrends J, Karsten CM, Röbke A, Schulze TJ, Kirchner H, Kruse A. Selectin, Platelet Plays a Critical Role in Granulocyte Access to the Pregnant Mouse Uterus Under Physiological and Pathological Conditions1. Biol Reprod 2007; 76:645-53. [PMID: 17151351 DOI: 10.1095/biolreprod.106.056192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Leukocyte recruitment to the pregnant mouse uterus is associated with highly regulated patterns of expression of vascular adhesion receptors. One striking observation is the localized expression of mucosal vascular addressin cell adhesion molecule (MADCAM1) and selectin, platelet (SELP, formerly P-selectin) by maternal vessels in the vascular zone (VZ) during the first half of pregnancy. From midgestation onwards, endothelial cells lining the maternal vessels of the VZ in addition express vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM1). The predominant cell population within these vessels is monocyte-like cells. Granulocytes and low numbers of lymphocytes are also present. Murine fetal trophoblast cells are almost devoid of adhesion molecules, including SELP. In contrast, spontaneous abortions of allogeneic pregnancies are characterized by dramatic upregulation of SELP on maternal VZ vessels and on fetal trophoblast cells. Upregulation of SELP is associated with a dramatic influx of highly activated granulocytes, which infiltrate the vessels and tissue of the VZ and the trophoblast. The majority of the activated granulocytes within the trophoblast undergo nuclear fragmentation, which can be detected by TUNEL staining. To demonstrate that SELP is involved in the recruitment of granulocytes to the pregnant uterus, we undertook long-term in vivo inhibition studies using a monoclonal antibody to inhibit the contribution of SELP to leukocyte trafficking to the decidua. In addition, the pregnant uteri of syngeneic Selp(-/-) x Selp(-/-) mice were investigated and compared to the controls. Our results clearly demonstrate the importance of SELP for granulocyte access to the pregnant mouse uterus under physiological and pathological conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uta Fernekorn
- Institute of Immunology and Transfusion Medicine, University of Lübeck, 23538 Lübeck, Germany
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38
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Carter AM, Croy BA, Dantzer V, Enders AC, Hayakawa S, Mess A, Soma H. Comparative Aspects of Placental Evolution: A Workshop Report. Placenta 2007; 28 Suppl A:S129-32. [PMID: 17350679 DOI: 10.1016/j.placenta.2007.01.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2007] [Accepted: 01/24/2007] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- A M Carter
- Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.
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Croy BA, van den Heuvel MJ, Borzychowski AM, Tayade C. Uterine natural killer cells: a specialized differentiation regulated by ovarian hormones. Immunol Rev 2007; 214:161-85. [PMID: 17100884 DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-065x.2006.00447.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 168] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
In adult females of many species, a transient population of natural killer (NK) cells appears in cycles within the uterine endometrium (lining). Appearance of these lymphocytes coincides with specific phases of the ovarian hormone cycle and/or early pregnancy. Studies in rodents, women, and pigs dominate the literature and suggest the uterine (u)NK cells are an activated subset sharing many but not all features with circulating or lymphoid organ-residing NK cells. During successful murine pregnancy, uNK cells appear to regulate initiation of structural changes in the feed arterial systems that support maternal endometrial tissue at sites of implantation and subsequent placental development. These changes, which reverse after pregnancy, create a higher volume arterial bed with flaccid vessels unresponsive to vasoactive compounds. These unique pregnancy-associated arterial changes elevate the volume of low-pressure, nutrient-rich, maternal arterial blood available to conceptuses. Regulation of the differentiation, activation, and functions of uNK cells is only partially known, and there is lively debate regarding whether and how uNK cells participate in infertility or spontaneous abortion. This review highlights the biology of uNK cells during successful pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Anne Croy
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Research Group in Reproduction, Development and Sexual Function, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada.
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40
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Schöll I, Ackermann U, Özdemir C, Blümer N, Dicke T, Sel S, Sel S, Wegmann M, Szalai K, Knittelfelder R, Untersmayr E, Scheiner O, Garn H, Jensen-Jarolim E, Renz H. Anti-ulcer treatment during pregnancy induces food allergy in mouse mothers and a Th2-bias in their offspring. FASEB J 2007; 21:1264-70. [PMID: 17227952 PMCID: PMC2999745 DOI: 10.1096/fj.06-7223com] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The treatment of dyspeptic disorders with anti-acids leads to an increased risk of sensitization against food allergens. As these drugs are taken by 30-50% of pregnant women due to reflux and heartburn, we aimed here to investigate the impact of maternal therapy with anti-acids on the immune response in the offspring in a murine model. Codfish extract as model allergen was fed with or without sucralfate, an anti-acid drug, to pregnant BALB/c mice during pregnancy and lactation. These mothers developed a codfish-specific allergic response shown as high IgG1 and IgE antibody levels and positive skin tests. In the next step we analyzed whether this maternal sensitization impacts a subsequent sensitization in the offspring. Indeed, in stimulated splenocytes of these offspring we found a relative Th2-dominance, because the Th1- and T-regulatory cytokines were significantly suppressed. Our data provide evidence that the anti-acid drug sucralfate supports sensitization against food in pregnant mice and favors a Th2-milieu in their offspring. From these results we propose that anti-acid treatment during pregnancy could be responsible for the increasing number of sensitizations against food allergens in young infants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabella Schöll
- Department of Pathophysiology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Ute Ackermann
- Department of Clinical Chemistry and Molecular Diagnostics, Hospital of the Philipps-University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Cevdet Özdemir
- Pediatric Allergy and Immunology Division, Marmara University, School of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Nicole Blümer
- Department of Clinical Chemistry and Molecular Diagnostics, Hospital of the Philipps-University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Tanja Dicke
- Department of Clinical Chemistry and Molecular Diagnostics, Hospital of the Philipps-University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Serdar Sel
- Department of Clinical Chemistry and Molecular Diagnostics, Hospital of the Philipps-University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Sarper Sel
- Department of Clinical Chemistry and Molecular Diagnostics, Hospital of the Philipps-University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Michael Wegmann
- Department of Clinical Chemistry and Molecular Diagnostics, Hospital of the Philipps-University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Krisztina Szalai
- Department of Pathophysiology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Eva Untersmayr
- Department of Pathophysiology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Otto Scheiner
- Department of Pathophysiology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Holger Garn
- Department of Clinical Chemistry and Molecular Diagnostics, Hospital of the Philipps-University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Erika Jensen-Jarolim
- Department of Pathophysiology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Correspondence: Department of Pathophysiology, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel1090 Vienna, Austria.
| | - Harald Renz
- Department of Clinical Chemistry and Molecular Diagnostics, Hospital of the Philipps-University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
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van den Heuvel MJ, Xie X, Tayade C, Peralta C, Fang Y, Leonard S, Paffaro VA, Sheikhi AK, Murrant C, Croy BA. A review of trafficking and activation of uterine natural killer cells. Am J Reprod Immunol 2006; 54:322-31. [PMID: 16305657 PMCID: PMC2967519 DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0897.2005.00336.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
PROBLEM Enrichment of uterine natural killer (uNK) cells occurs during pregnancy in many species. However, functions of uNK cells and regulation of their uterine homing are not fully defined. In mice and women, uNK cells contribute to angiogenesis, a role reviewed here and now addressed in a mammal with an alternative placental type. METHODS OF STUDY To address lymphocyte functions, RNA from murine or porcine endometrium and lymphocytes purified from endometrium were analyzed using real-time or reverse transcription PCR. To address homing potential, human blood CD56(+) lymphocytes were evaluated using both RNA and functional adhesion to endothelium presented under shear force in frozen sections of gestation day 7 C57Bl/6J implantation sites. Women were serially sampled over a menstrual cycle or a clinical preparatory cycle for embryo transfer. RESULTS Activation of murine uNK cells is associated with much greater increases in transcription for Eomes than for T-bet (Tbx21). Lymphocytes from normal porcine implantation sites transcribe vascular endothelial growth factor, placental growth factor, interferon-gamma and hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1alpha. In fertile women, increases in L-selectin- and alpha4-integrin-mediated interactions between CD56(+) cells and endothelium occur at luteinizing hormone (LH) surge (cycling women) to oocyte pick up or embryo transfer, then return to pre-LH levels. CONCLUSIONS Uterine lymphocytes may universally promote pregnancy-associated endometrial angiogenesis. Recruitment of uNK precursor cells from blood appears to occur in a window promoted by rising plasma estrogen and LH and limited by rising progesterone.
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Yamaguchi T, Kitaya K, Daikoku N, Yasuo T, Fushiki S, Honjo H. Potential Selectin L Ligands Involved in Selective Recruitment of Peripheral Blood CD16(–) Natural Killer Cells into Human Endometrium1. Biol Reprod 2006; 74:35-40. [PMID: 16148216 DOI: 10.1095/biolreprod.105.045971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Unique CD16(-) natural killer (NK) cells appear in the human cycling endometrium and acutely increase in number after ovulation. Selective recruitment from peripheral blood (PB) CD16(-) NK cells is a potential mechanism for the postovulatory increase of these NK cells. The interaction between selectin L, an adhesion molecule playing a critical role in leukocyte extravasation, and its ligands may be involved in this phenomenon. We investigated the menstrual cycle-dependent fluctuation of selectin L expression on PB CD16(-) NK cells and selectin L ligand expression in the human endometrial endothelium. The expression of selectin L on PB CD16(-) NK cells was constantly high throughout the menstrual cycle compared with other PB CD16(+) NK cells and non-NK lymphocytes. Among eight selectin L ligands examined, podocalyxin-like, mucosal addressin cell adhesion molecule-1 (MADCAM1) and chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan 2 (CSPG2) were localized in the endometrial endothelium. Semiquantitative score of immunostaining intensity in the endometrial endothelium for MADCAM1 was highest in the late secretory phase, whereas that for CSPG2 peaked throughout the secretory phase. There was a strong positive correlation between the number of endometrial NK cells and the semiquantitative score for CSPG2. Three active isoforms of CSPG2 mRNA were detected in the human endometrium. These findings support the idea that the interaction between selectin L and selectin L ligands functions in the postovulatory selective recruitment of PB CD16(-) NK cells into the human endometrium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takeshi Yamaguchi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto 602-8566, Japan
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43
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Monk JM, Leonard S, McBey BA, Croy BA. Induction of murine spiral artery modification by recombinant human interferon-gamma. Placenta 2005; 26:835-8. [PMID: 16226133 DOI: 10.1016/j.placenta.2004.10.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2004] [Revised: 10/24/2004] [Accepted: 10/25/2004] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Functions of uterine natural killer (uNK) cells during mouse pregnancy are maintenance of decidua basalis and promotion of uterine spiral artery modification, a process that results in thin-walled, dilated, elongated arteries with lowered resistance. Murine models indicate spiral artery modifications are triggered by release of the cytokine interferon (IFN)-gamma from uNK cells. The purpose of this study was to determine if human IFN-gamma could induce structural changes in the unmodified spiral arteries found in pregnant, alymphoid (uNK-, NK-, T-, B-) mice. Spiral arteries in pregnant Rag2 null/common cytokine chain (c) gamma null mice were modified, in a dose response manner, by daily injections of rhIFN-gamma. Administration of low dose LPS did not induce morphologically recognized structural changes. These findings are key in building humanized murine models of pregnancy since they suggest Rag2 null/gammac null mice provide a bioassay system that would detect the functioning of human uNK cells under in vivo conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- J M Monk
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
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Wu X, Jin LP, Yuan MM, Zhu Y, Wang MY, Li DJ. Human first-trimester trophoblast cells recruit CD56brightCD16- NK cells into decidua by way of expressing and secreting of CXCL12/stromal cell-derived factor 1. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2005; 175:61-8. [PMID: 15972632 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.175.1.61] [Citation(s) in RCA: 138] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
More than 70% of decidual lymphocytes are NK cells characterized by CD56(bright)CD16(-) phenotype, but the mechanisms by which these NK cells are recruited in the decidua are still almost unrevealed. In this study, we first analyzed the transcription of 18 chemokine receptors in the first-trimester decidual CD56(bright)CD16(-) NK cells. Among these receptors, CXCR4 and CXCR3 were found highly transcribed, and the expression of CXCR4 was verified in most of the decidual CD56(bright)CD16(-) NK cells by flow cytometry. The first-trimester human trophoblasts were found expressing CXCL12/stromal cell-derived factor 1, the specific ligand of CXCR4, by way of in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry. The primary cultured trophoblast cells were also found to secrete stromal cell-derived factor 1alpha spontaneously, and its concentration was 384.6 +/- 90.7 pg/ml after the trophoblast cells had been cultured for 60 h. All of the ligands for CXCR3 were below the minimal detectable concentration when trophoblast cells were cultured for up to 48 h. Both recombinant human SDF-1alpha and supernatants of the cultured trophoblast cells exhibited chemotactic activity on decidual CD56(bright)CD16(-) NK cells. Our findings suggest that human first-trimester trophoblast cells produce CXCL12, which in turn chemoattracts decidual CD56(bright)CD16(-) NK cells. This activity could contribute to the recruitment mechanism of decidual lymphocytes, especially CD56(bright)CD16(-) NK cells, in decidua, and may be used at a local level to modulate the immune milieu at the materno-fetal interface.
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MESH Headings
- Base Sequence
- CD56 Antigen/metabolism
- Cell Movement
- Cells, Cultured
- Chemokine CXCL12
- Chemokines, CXC/biosynthesis
- Chemokines, CXC/genetics
- Chemokines, CXC/pharmacology
- Chemotaxis/drug effects
- Decidua/cytology
- Decidua/immunology
- Female
- Humans
- Immunohistochemistry
- In Situ Hybridization
- In Vitro Techniques
- Killer Cells, Natural/immunology
- Pregnancy
- Pregnancy Trimester, First
- Protein Biosynthesis
- RNA, Messenger/genetics
- RNA, Messenger/metabolism
- Receptors, CXCR4/genetics
- Receptors, Chemokine/genetics
- Receptors, IgG/metabolism
- Recombinant Proteins/pharmacology
- Transcription, Genetic
- Trophoblasts/cytology
- Trophoblasts/immunology
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Affiliation(s)
- Xia Wu
- Laboratory of Reproductive Immunology, Institute of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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45
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van den Heuvel MJ, Horrocks J, Bashar S, Taylor S, Burke S, Hatta K, Lewis JE, Croy BA. Menstrual cycle hormones induce changes in functional interactions between lymphocytes and decidual vascular endothelial cells. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2005; 90:2835-42. [PMID: 15687334 PMCID: PMC2951986 DOI: 10.1210/jc.2004-1742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
During the secretory phase of the menstrual cycle, a natural killer (NK) cell subset expressing cluster of differentiation (CD)56bright appears in the decidualizing uterus and remains until onset of menses. If pregnancy occurs, decidual NK cells increase to become the predominant uterine lymphocytes of early pregnancy. To elucidate mechanisms of CD56bright cell recruitment to the uterus, an in vitro adhesion assay was used to assess the effect of the menstrual cycle, as well as cycle-associated hormones on adhesive properties of human lymphocytes. Adhesion of human peripheral blood lymphocytes to pregnant mouse lymph nodes and Peyer's Patches tissue sections was constant throughout the cycle. When uterine tissue was used as the substrate, adhesive CD56+ cells were found only in decidua basalis. Adhesion increased at the LH surge. Adhesion was mediated through both L-selectin and alpha4-integrin-dependent mechanisms. Furthermore, we observed increased adhesive function in CD56+ cells from male donors which had been cultured with estradiol or LH compared with cell aliquots cultured without additives. Lymphocytes adherent to mouse uterine tissue were predominantly CD56bright, suggesting that peripheral NK cells may be actively recruited to the uterus in an important, brief endocrine-regulated fashion at the time of ovulation to establish the decidual NK population of early pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marianne J van den Heuvel
- Department of Pediatrics, Child Health Research Institute, 800 Commissioner's Road East, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada, N6C 2V5.
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Luppi P, Irwin TE, Simhan H, Deloia JA. CD11b Expression on circulating leukocytes increases in preparation for parturition. Am J Reprod Immunol 2005; 52:323-9. [PMID: 15550069 DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0897.2004.00229.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
PROBLEM Initiation of parturition is associated with migration of leukocytes to the reproductive tract. This migration is controlled in part by expression of adhesion molecules on the surface of leukocytes and vascular endothelial cells. Within the reproductive tract, certain endothelial adhesion molecules, including intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), are up-regulated at the end of gestation. ICAM-1 binds to the beta(2) integrin CD11b on the leukocytes. In this study, we wanted to investigate whether complementary changes occur in expression of adhesion molecules on maternal leukocytes in preparation for parturition. METHOD OF STUDY We used flow cytometry to ascertain changes in adhesion molecules expression on leukocytes throughout third trimester and labor. RESULTS We found a significant increase in the expression of CD11b on monocytes and granulocytes in women at >37 weeks of gestation. CONCLUSIONS CD11b may be a key molecule for leukocyte trafficking to the reproductive tract at the end of pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrizia Luppi
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Immunogenetics, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
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Ain R, Trinh ML, Soares MJ. Interleukin-11 signaling is required for the differentiation of natural killer cells at the maternal-fetal interface. Dev Dyn 2005; 231:700-8. [PMID: 15499555 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.20183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Interleukin-11 (IL-11) is a multifunctional hematopoietic growth factor that has been implicated in the control of reproduction. Studies on IL-11 receptor-alpha (IL-11R alpha)-deficient mice showed that female mice are infertile due to defective decidualization. In this report, we evaluated the development of decidual cells, immune cells, and the vasculature associated with the implantation site of IL-11R alpha-deficient mice; with the aim of better understanding the nature of the fertility defect. Messenger RNAs for decidual differentiation, such as decidual prolactin-related protein and prolactin-like protein-J are expressed in the IL-11R alpha mutant. However, the number of decidual cells expressing these genes is decreased in the mutant compared with the wild-type control. Although, trophoblast cells differentiate and express placental lactogen-I in the IL-11R alpha-deficient uterine environment, they fail to progress and expand in number. Defects in the organization of the decidual vasculature were also apparent in the IL-11R alpha mutant uterus. The most dramatic effect of IL-11 signaling was on the hematopoietic environment of the uterine decidua. Differentiated/perforin-expressing uterine natural killer (NK) cells were virtually absent from implantation sites of IL-11R alpha mutant mice. NK cell precursors were capable of homing to the IL-11R alpha-deficient uterus and a known regulator of NK cell differentiation; IL-15 was expressed in the IL-11R alpha mutant uterus. Splenic NK cells from IL-11R alpha mutant mice were also able to respond to IL-15 in vitro. Thus, the defect in NK precursor cell maturation was not intrinsic to the NK precursor cells but was dependent upon the tissue environment. In summary, IL-11 signaling is required for decidual-specific maturation of NK cells.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Cell Differentiation/immunology
- Cells, Cultured
- Decidua/cytology
- Decidua/physiology
- Female
- Gene Expression/immunology
- Interleukin-11/metabolism
- Interleukin-11 Receptor alpha Subunit
- Interleukin-15/metabolism
- Killer Cells, Natural/cytology
- Killer Cells, Natural/metabolism
- Mice
- Mice, Mutant Strains
- Pregnancy
- Receptors, Interleukin/genetics
- Receptors, Interleukin/metabolism
- Receptors, Interleukin-11
- Receptors, Interleukin-15
- Receptors, Interleukin-2/genetics
- Receptors, Interleukin-2/metabolism
- Signal Transduction/physiology
- Trophoblasts/cytology
- Trophoblasts/physiology
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Affiliation(s)
- Rupasri Ain
- Institute of Maternal-Fetal Biology, Department of Pathology and Laboratory of Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas 66160, USA.
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Schofield G, Kimber SJ. Leukocyte Subpopulations in the Uteri of Leukemia Inhibitory Factor Knockout Mice During Early Pregnancy1. Biol Reprod 2005; 72:872-8. [PMID: 15576827 DOI: 10.1095/biolreprod.104.034876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) is transiently expressed on Day (D) 1 of pregnancy by the uterine epithelium and on D4 specifically by the glandular epithelium. The Lif knockout female mice are infertile because of uterine defects that affect embryo implantation, but pregnancy can be rescued in these mice by injections of LIF on D4 of pregnancy. Many of the specific actions of LIF in the uterus are unknown, especially with regard to uterine cell biology. Leukocytes, such as macrophages, natural killer (NK) cells, and eosinophils, are present in the pregnant uterus and are thought to be beneficial, because alterations in their proportions can adversely affect pregnancy. Immunocytochemistry and cell counting were used to compare the distributions and dynamics of leukocyte subpopulations in wild-type and Lif knockout mice. The percentage of macrophages was reduced by more than half in the Lif knockout mice on D3 of pregnancy, and their distribution was disrupted, suggesting that LIF is a chemokine for these cells. The NK cells were detected as early as D3 of pregnancy, but the Lif knockout mice had double the percentage of NK cells compared to wild-type mice at this time, indicating that LIF restricts the migration of NK cells to the uterus. The Lif knockout mice also had significantly higher percentages of eosinophils in the outer stroma on D3, and in the midstroma on D4, of pregnancy, suggesting that LIF also may restrict eosinophil migration to the uterus. These alterations of the uterine leukocyte subpopulations in Lif knockout mice may disrupt pregnancy and contribute to failure of implantation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gemma Schofield
- Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, United Kingdom
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Xie X, Kang Z, Anderson LN, He H, Lu B, Croy BA. Analysis of the Contributions of l
-Selectin and CXCR3 in Mediating Leukocyte Homing to Pregnant Mouse Uterus. Am J Reprod Immunol 2005; 53:1-12. [PMID: 15667520 DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0897.2005.00239.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
PROBLEM Dynamic changes occur in endometrial immune cell populations during pregnancy but regulatory events promoting cell recruitment to the uterus are not established. Ovarian steroid hormones promote l-selectin and alpha4-integrin-mediated interactions between human peripheral natural killer (NK) cells and uterine endothelium while CXCR3, CXCR4 and their ligands are implicated in homing of human uNK cells to decidua. METHOD OF STUDY Mice genetically-ablated for l-selectin or CXCR3 were studied. Morphometric analyses of implantation sites and assays of cell function (in vitro adhesion; in vivo homing following adoptive cell transfer) were undertaken. RESULTS Leukocytes home to anti-mesometrial decidua with l-selectin making an early (<6 hr in vivo) contribution. Unexpectedly, CXCR3 deletion had no effect on homing but reduced the ability of uNK cells to modify placental spiral arterioles. CONCLUSIONS Redundant mechanisms underlie homing of leukocytes to the uterus and their importance can be evaluated by an in vivo approach described herein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuemei Xie
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
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Fernekorn U, Butcher EC, Behrends J, Hartz S, Kruse A. Functional involvement of P-selectin and MAdCAM-1 in the recruitment of ?4?7-integrin-expressing monocyte-like cells to the pregnant mouse uterus. Eur J Immunol 2004; 34:3423-33. [PMID: 15484189 DOI: 10.1002/eji.200425223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Leukocyte recruitment to the pregnant mouse uterus has been suggested to be associated with highly regulated expression of distinct patterns of vascular adhesion receptors. One of the most striking observations is the combined expression of mucosal addressin cell adhesion molecule-1 (MAdCAM-1) and P-selectin by maternal vessels of the vascular zone during the critical period of initial placenta development. The predominant cell population within these vessels is of the monocyte/macrophage lineage and expresses the mucosal integrin alpha4beta7, which represents the ligand for MAdCAM-1; neutrophils and lymphocytes are rare. To directly assess the importance of identified adhesion receptors, we undertook long-term in vivo inhibition studies using monoclonal antibodies to inhibit the contribution of MAdCAM-1 in leukocyte trafficking to the decidua or to deplete alpha4beta7(+) leukocytes. In addition, implantation sites of mouse strains genetically deficient in specific adhesion receptors were investigated. Our results underline the importance of predicted adhesion pathways in the recruitment of monocyte-like cells, especially those expressing alpha4beta7. Interestingly, maternal/fetal units with inhibited recruitment of alpha4beta7(+) leukocytes or the absence of these cells are characterized by reduced size and frequency of uterine NK cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uta Fernekorn
- Institute of Immunology and Transfusion Medicine, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
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