engleski

Analysis of dendritic cells in human and murin first trimester placenta

PROBLEM: Dendritic cells (DCs) are established inducers of T-cell immunity and mediators of T-cell tolerance. In both human and mice, there are three different populations of DCs identified (two myeloid derived and one lymphoid derived). The antigen presenting capacity and type of T- cell response generated by DCs is very dependent on their state of maturation. Pregnancy can be regarded as an immunological paradox where the fetus is tolerated by the mother, despite expressing paternal transplant antigens. The role played by DCs in pregnancy physiology is still unclear, but they are thought to be involved in the regulatory functions. Thus, tolerance has been suggested to be an "active" process, implying the critical role of DCs. This study analyzed the presence, distribution, origin and state of maturation of DCs in human and mice pregnancy placenta during the first trimester. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Investigations were performed on freshly isolated and/or cultured decidual cells from human first trimester decidual tissue and female mice mated with syngenic and allogenic males (C57Bl/6 X C57Bl/6, C57Bl/6 X Balb/c). Pregnant mice were sacrificed at gd 7. CD1a, CD83 and CD11c expression was detected by immunohistology. Phenotyping of CD83+ DCs and CD11c+ DCs were performed by flow cytometry analysis. RESULTS: Using immunohistology we have identified CD1a+ and CD83+ DCs in human first trimester decidual tissue and CD11c+ cells in pregnant mice uteri. In the population of decidual non-adherent cells, there are more CD83+ cells than CD1a+ cells. The percentage of CD83+ cells to mononuclear cells in cultured decidual non-adherent cell population was 3.6% +/- 2 SEM (n=12) and the percentage of CD83+ cells in adherent cell population was 1.3% +/-1 SEM (n=10). The expression of CD11c was up-regulated in pregnant uteri, compared to virgin uteri. Both, human and mice DCs are of myeloid origin and have a phenotype of mature DCs. CONCLUSIONS: We have characterized DCs subsets (on the basis of their surface phenotype and ontogeny) at the materno-fetal interface as myeloid DCs which express high amount of co-stimulatory molecules and MHC class II molecules. These investigations are supported by grant No. 0062029 from Ministry of Science and Technology, Republic of Croatia.

Dendritic cells; Pregnancy; CD83

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