1. Fetal-maternal HLA-C mismatch is associated with decidual T cell activation and induction of functional T regulatory cells.
- Author
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Tilburgs T, Scherjon SA, van der Mast BJ, Haasnoot GW, Versteeg-V D Voort-Maarschalk M, Roelen DL, van Rood JJ, and Claas FH
- Subjects
- Adult, CD4 Antigens biosynthesis, Cell Count, Cell Proliferation, Decidua immunology, Decidua pathology, Female, HLA-C Antigens immunology, Histocompatibility Testing, Humans, Immune Tolerance, Interleukin-2 Receptor alpha Subunit biosynthesis, Isoantigens immunology, Lymphocyte Activation, Pregnancy, T-Cell Antigen Receptor Specificity immunology, T-Lymphocyte Subsets immunology, T-Lymphocyte Subsets pathology, T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory immunology, T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory pathology, Decidua metabolism, HLA-C Antigens metabolism, Histocompatibility, Maternal-Fetal, T-Lymphocyte Subsets metabolism, T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory metabolism
- Abstract
Human leukocyte antigen-C (HLA-C) is the only polymorphic classical histocompatibility antigen expressed by fetal trophoblasts at the fetal-maternal interface. Interactions between HLA-C and decidual natural killer (NK) cells may facilitate trophoblast invasion into maternal tissue. Thus far no evidence has been provided that decidual T cells specifically recognize and respond to fetal alloantigens at the fetal-maternal interface. In this study, we show that pregnancies containing a HLA-C mismatched child induce an increased percentage of CD4(+)CD25(dim) activated T cells in decidual tissue. In addition, HLA-C mismatched pregnancies exhibit a decidual lymphocyte response to fetal cells and contain functional CD4(+)CD25(bright) regulatory T cells in decidual tissue, whereas HLA-C matched pregnancies do not. This suggests that decidual T cells specifically recognize fetal HLA-C at the fetal-maternal interface but are prevented from inducing a destructive immune response in uncomplicated pregnancies.
- Published
- 2009
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