DENDRITIC CELLS AS POSSIBLE REGULATORS OF IMMUNE RE-ORGANIZATION IN PREGNANCY

Abstract

Abstract. The present work was aimed to evaluation of phenotype and functional properties of IFNα-induced dendritic cells (DCs) in normal pregnancy, and in cases complicated with suprarenal hyperandrogenia (HA), as well as in vitro assessment of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) effects upon DC functions. As compared with non-pregnant women, DCs from healthy pregnant women are notable for impaired maturation/activation, whereas fractions of mature (CD83+) and activated (CD25+) cells DC were similar in normal pregnancy and in women with HA. Blood sera from healthy pregnant women inhibited generation of mature DCs, whereas sera of women with HA and direct supplementation with DHEAS enhanced maturation and activation of DCs. Functional analysis of DC capacity to stimulate Th1 (IFNγ) and Th2 (IL-4) cytokine expression in MLC has shown that, in contrast to non-pregnant women with T1-cell activation by DCs, the DCs from healthy pregnant women caused predominant activation of CD3+IL-4+Т-cells. In HA-complicated pregnancy, DCs were capable to stimulate both Th1- and Th2-cytokine production in T-cell populations. Meanwhile, addition of DHEAS to DCs cultures were accompanied by enhancement of their T1- polarizing activity. DCs from women with normal pregnancy exerted inhibitory effect upon activated NK-cells that was evidenced by a relative decrease in CD56+CD16+ cells counts and increased apoptosis levels. This function of DCs was partially abrogated in presence of DHEAS. The results obtained reveal new mechanisms of immune/ endocrine nteractions in normal and complicated pregnancy.

Keywords

• dendritic cells
• phenotype
• th1/th2
• dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate
• pregnancy