Maternal T cells and human pregnancy outcome.
Mothers who had just delivered babies of normal birthweight showed significant reductions in the numbers of circulating T and B lymphocytes and of the CD4 T lymphocyte subset. This is consistent with the immunosuppression that occurs in a normal pregnancy. In contrast, the mothers of low birthweight infants did not show these reductions and had circulating lymphocyte numbers not significantly different from normal controls. This suggests that a component of intra-uterine growth retardation may be immunopathological, owing to a failure of the immunosuppressive mechanisms of pregnancy that might normally prevent the fetus from immunological attack.
Milns
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Menzies School of Health Research, Casuarina, N.T., Australia.
Gardner
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ID
D000328:Adult; D001724:Birth Weight; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes; D005260:Female; D005317:Fetal Growth Retardation / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology*; D005333:Fetus / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007108:Immune Tolerance; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000145:classification; D049590:Postpartum Period / Q000276:immunology*; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000276:immunology*