title: Interleukin-2 receptor positive cells in human decidua during the first trimester of pregnancy and their association with macrophages.
abstract: Maternal immune rejection of the fetus could sometimes be the cause of unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortion. Components of the T cell-mediated immunity were investigated in the first trimester of pregnancy in women having spontaneous abortion and compared to those with normal pregnancy having a termination on social grounds. Interleukin 2 (IL-2) had no proliferative effect on the trophoblasts of chorionic villi and there were also no IL-2 receptors in these cells. However IL-2 receptor positive cells were found in the decidua in 7 out of 24 women with normal pregnancy and in 12 out of 18 with spontaneous abortion. A high density of macrophages showed an association with IL-2 receptors in both groups. There were no differences with respect to T-cytotoxic cells and T-helper cells in cases of normal pregnancy (with and without IL-2 receptor positive cells), whereas in women having spontaneous abortion we found lower densities of T-helper and T-cytotoxic cells in those without IL-2 receptors than in those with IL-2 receptors.
authors.affiliation: Seminar of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Basle, Switzerland.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kovacs
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Meichsner-Frauli
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ludwig
mesh_terms: D000028:Abortion, Induced; D002824:Chorionic Villi / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D003656:Decidua / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008264:Macrophages / Q000276:immunology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011261:Pregnancy Trimester, First; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000032:analysis*; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000276:immunology; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology; D014327:Trophoblasts / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2