Quantitative analysis of peripheral blood Th0, Th1, Th2 and the Th1:Th2 cell ratio during normal human pregnancy and preeclampsia

Abstract

SUMMARYWe calculated the percentage of Th1, Th2, Th0 cells and the Th1:Th2 cell ratio of peripheral blood from normal pregnant subjects and preeclampsia patients using¯ow cytometry which can analyse both the surface marker, CD4, and intracellular cytokines, interleukin (IL)-4 and interferon (IFN)-g. In normal pregnancy, the percentage of Th1 cells was signi®cantly lower in the third trimester, and the ratios of Th1:Th2 were signi®cantly lower in the second and third trimester than in nonpregnant subjects. In contrast, the percentage of Th1 cells and the ratios of Th1:Th2 in preeclampsia were signi®cantly higher than in normal third trimester pregnant subjects. The percentage of Th2 cells in preeclampsia was signi®cantly lower than in third trimester of normal pregnancy. Additionally, peripheral blood mononuclear cells from these subjects and patients were cultured with phytohemagglutinin stimulation, and IL-4 and IFN-g concentrations were determined in the supernatant by enzymed linked immunosorbent assays. The percentage of Th1 and Th2, and the ratios of Th1:Th2 were correlated with cytokine (IFN-g and IL-4) secretion level. These results demonstrated that Th2 cells were predominant in the second and third trimesters of normal pregnancy, but Th1 cells predominated in preeclamptic patients.

Associations of maternal immune response with MeHg exposure at 28 weeks’ gestation in the Seychelles Child Development Study

“…57,58 The Th1:Th2 ratio observed in this study is in line with what others have reported in pregnancy 57 and considering this cohort consisted of only healthy term pregnancies this is to be expected. It would also suggest that the association of MeHg with the Th1:Th2 is negligible.…”

The immune-mediated alteration of serotonin and glutamate: towards an integrated view of depression

“…124,125 After delivery, an activation of the type 1 response of the maternal immune system takes place. 126,127 This type 1-dominated maternal immune re-balancing was found to be associated with the postpartum blues, 126 a state found in 20-75% of mothers, 128,129 or the postpartum depression, a state found in 10-15% of mothers.…”

Increased Th1/Th2 (IFN-.GAMMA./IL-4) Cytokine mRNA Ratio of Rat Embryos in the Pregnant Mouse Uterus

“…The normal shift toward Th2 dominance in pregnancy has been postulated to play a crucial role in protecting the fetus from rejection and in maintenance of normal pregnancy, indicating that the maternal immune system redirects maternal immunity away from cellm e d i a t e d i m m u n i t y t o w a r d s h u m o r a l responsiveness. It has been found that Th2-type c y t o ki n e s p r o d u c e d b y m a t e r n a l c e ll s a r e predominant at the feto-maternal interface during normal pregnancy in mice [22] and humans [33]. Excessive Th1 cytokine production, on the other hand, has been shown to evoke rejection responses directed against fetoplacenal semiallografts [61].…”

“…Excessive amounts of Th1 cytokines could hamper the immunological tolerance of the female to the foreign antigens of the fetus. Increased expression of Th1 cytokines or an increased ratio of Th1/Th2 cytokines has been observed at the feto-maternal interface in abortionprone mice [29], and this occurs not only at the fetomaternal interface but also in the peripheral blood in many human pregnancy failures, such as r e c u r r e n t s p o n t a n e o u s a b o r t i o n [ 3 0 , 3 1 ] , preeclampsia [32][33][34], intrauterine growth retardation [35], preterm delivery, and premature rupture of membranes [36,37]. Shift of the Th1/ Th2 balance to Th1 dominance contributes to the failure of pregnancy.…”