Cellular immunity in pregnancy: subpopulations of T lymphocytes bearing Fc receptors for IgG and IgM in pregnant women.
Studies on the change of peripheral T and B lymphocytes and T cells bearing Fc receptors for IgG and IgM in pregnant women were performed by using rosette-formation tests. There was no significant difference in the proportion of T and B lymphocytes between pregnant and non-pregnant women. The percentage of T cells bearing Fc receptors for IgG in the T lymphocytes which are considered to have suppressive activity increased in the various stages of pregnancy and post-partum as compared with that in non-pregnant women. On the contrary, the percentage of T cells bearing Fc receptors for IgM in the T lymphocytes which have a helper function decreased in pregnant and post-partum women. The results of this investigation suggest that the depression of cell-mediated immunity during pregnancy depends on the qualitative change of T lymphocytes, i.e. increased suppressor and decreased helper T lymphocyte subpopulations.
D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000276:immunology; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000276:immunology; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D011247:Pregnancy; D011961:Receptors, Fc / Q000032:analysis; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000145:classification* / Q000276:immunology
D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D011961:Receptors, Fc