title: Isolation of maternal mononuclear cells from placentas for use in in vitro functional assays.
abstract: Interest in immunoregulatory mechanisms within uteroplacental tissues, particularly in malarial infection during pregnancy, prompted us to develop a technique to extract maternal mononuclear cells from human term placentas. This method is described. The phenotypes of isolated cells were characterised for expression of CD45, CD3, CD4, CD8, CD14, CD15, CD68, CD22, CAM 5.2 and class II MHC antigens and compared with those in situ in frozen sections of the same placentas. Isolated mononuclear cell preparations were examined for contamination by fetal trophoblasts. Fetal leukocyte contamination appeared unlikely since histological sections of placental tissue, after the extraction of maternal leukocytes, showed intact chorionic villi with no disruption of fetal stem vessels. This technique produces preparations of maternal placental mononuclear cells which are representative of cells in situ, show minimal fetal cell contamination and are suitable for functional studies.
authors.affiliation: Medical Research Council Laboratories, Fajara, The Gambia.
authors.forename: F N
authors.initials: FN
authors.lastname: Rasheed
authors.forename: J N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Bulmer
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Morrison
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Jawla
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hassan-King
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Riley
authors.forename: B M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Greenwood
mesh_terms: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000032:analysis; D002470:Cell Survival; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000166:cytology; D006681:HLA-D Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000166:cytology*; D016131:Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology; D010920:Placenta / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D015703:Antigens, CD; D006681:HLA-D Antigens