Skip Navigation



International Immunology Advance Access published online on July 14, 2008
International Immunology, doi:10.1093/intimm/dxn072
This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
20/9/1147    most recent
dxn072v1
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Amsalem, H.
Right arrow Articles by Rachmilewitz, J.
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Amsalem, H.
Right arrow Articles by Rachmilewitz, J.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

© The Japanese Society for Immunology. 2008. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org

Characterization of a lymphocyte subset displaying a unique regulatory activity in human decidua

Hagai Amsalem1,2, Anat Gaiger1, Sa'ar Mizrahi3, Simcha Yagel2 and Jacob Rachmilewitz1

1 Goldyne Savad Institute of Gene Therapy, Hadassah University Hospital, Jerusalem, Israel
2 Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hadassah University Hospital-Mount Scopus, Jerusalem, Israel
3 Lautenberg Center for General and Tumor Immunology, the Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel

Correspondence to: Correspondence to: H. Amsalem; E-mail: hagai223{at}gmail.com

One of the most intriguing mechanisms of early pregnancy is the maternal immune tolerance toward her semi-allogeneic fetus, specifically in face of the accumulation of lymphocytes to high numbers at implantation sites. Here, we propose that a regulatory decidual lymphocyte (dL) population prevent the activation of reactive T cells and by that may maintain immune tolerance in the decidua. dLs were isolated from first trimester decidua and were then co-cultured with PBMC that were stimulated with anti-CD3 mAbs. Cytokine secretion to the media as well as the proliferative response were tested. The data demonstrate that dLs inhibit the production of IFN-{gamma}, tumor necrosis factor-{alpha} (TNF-{alpha}) and IL-5 but not CD25 expression, IL-2 production or proliferation in the responder PBMC. Suppression is mediated by a cell contact-dependent mechanism, was not restricted by the MHC and was not reversed by the addition of exogenous IL-2 although the inhibitory sub-population was identified as CD3+CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ natural regulatory T cells (Treg). Interestingly, suppression can also be overcome by the addition the endotoxin LPS, suggesting a mechanism for preterm labor triggered by chorioamnionitis. While these characteristics are in contrast to known peripheral CD4+CD25+ Treg activity, we identified these cells as the cellular subset responsible for the regulatory activity, suggesting that in decidua a functionally unique regulatory lymphocyte subset exist. These findings suggest the existence of a dynamic regulatory system in human decidua that is highly responsive to environmental factors.

Keywords: decidua, lipopolysaccharide, suppression, T cells, tolerance

Transmitting editor: M. Feldmann

Received 1 August 2007, accepted 5 June 2008.


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?




Disclaimer:
Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.