ORIGINAL ARTICLE: Changes in the Subpopulation of CD25+ CD4+ and FOXP3+ Regulatory T Cells in Decidua with Respect to the Progression of Labor at Term and the Lack of Analogical Changes in the Subpopulation of Suppressive B7-H4+ Macrophages – A Preliminary Report
Article first published online: 11 JAN 2009
© 2009 John Wiley & Sons A/S
American Journal of Reproductive Immunology
Volume 61, Issue 2, pages 136–146, February 2009
How to Cite
Galazka, K., Wicherek, L., Pitynski, K., Kijowski, J., Zajac, K., Bednarek, W., Dutsch-Wicherek, M., Rytlewski, K., Kalinka, J., Basta, A. and Majka, M. (2009), ORIGINAL ARTICLE: Changes in the Subpopulation of CD25+ CD4+ and FOXP3+ Regulatory T Cells in Decidua with Respect to the Progression of Labor at Term and the Lack of Analogical Changes in the Subpopulation of Suppressive B7-H4+ Macrophages – A Preliminary Report. American Journal of Reproductive Immunology, 61: 136–146. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0897.2008.00674.x
- Issue published online: 11 JAN 2009
- Article first published online: 11 JAN 2009
- Submitted September 24, 2008; accepted November 20, 2008.
- B7-H4+ macrophages;
- CD25+CD4+FOXP3+ regulatory T cells;
- cesarean section;
- labor at term;
Problem The initiation of labor is accompanied by alterations in the level of maternal immune tolerance toward fetal antigens. It is a complex molecular response leading to a brief activation of the maternal immune system with an accompanying capacity to restrict this same activation. The aim of our study was to evaluate the subpopulation of regulatory T cells (Tregs) and B7-H4 macrophages in the decidua basalis during cesarean sections performed on patients in various stages of labor.
Method of study The decidual tissue samples evaluated in our study were obtained from 23 pregnant women who underwent cesarean sections at term. Moreover, the patients were divided into three subgroups according to the progression of labor at the time of the cesarean. The presence of Treg cells and B7-H4 positive macrophages were analysed by fluorescence-activated cell sorter.
Results The percentages of FOXP3+ cells in the subpopulation of CD25+ CD4+ T lymphocytes found in the deciduas of patients decreased with the successive stages of labor, while the percentages of B7-H4 positive cells in the macrophage subpopulation remained almost constant.
Conclusion These changes in the Treg cell subpopulation in the decidua would seem to be related to a brief activation of the maternal immune system as labor begins and lack of analogical changes in the subpopulation of decidual suppressive B7-H4+ macrophages that enable the restriction of this same activation as labor progresses.