Common aspects of immunologic tolerance in pregnancy and malignancy.
The fetoplacental allograft and the malignant neoplasm represent the only 2 biologic conditions in which antigenic tissue is tolerated by a seemingly intact immune system. Recent investigations in the fields of tumor and pregnancy immunology have resulted in the recognition of a variety of immunologic mechanisms which are common to both systems. These common denominators are reviewed and a thesis suggesting a common mechanism in the nonrejection of pregnancy and malignancy, based on the presence of embryonic antigens in both systems, is presented.
D000917:Antibody Formation; D000937:Antigen-Antibody Reactions; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000276:immunology; D002464:Cell Migration Inhibition; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000276:immunology; D006084:Graft Rejection; D006801:Humans; D007108:Immune Tolerance; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000276:immunology; D008954:Models, Biological; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology*; D010920:Placenta / Q000276:immunology; D011247:Pregnancy; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D014181:Transplantation Immunology
D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D007136:Immunoglobulins