Regulatory role of gamma delta T cells in uterine intraepithelial lymphocytes in maternal antifetal immune response.
To elucidate the potential roles of the gamma delta T cells in uterine intraepithelial lymphocytes (IEL) in the regulation of maternal antifetal immune response during pregnancy, we examined the kinetics and function of gamma delta T cells in uterine IEL obtained from (C3H/He x AKR/J) pregnancy. The number of gamma delta T cells increased in the uterine IEL in (C3H/HexAKR/J) pregnancy more than those in (C3H/HexC3H/He) pregnancy and much more than in nonpregnant C3H/He mice. The uterine IEL in (C3H/HexC3H/He) pregnancy significantly proliferated in response to AKR/J stimulator cells. In contrast, the uterine IEL in (C3H/HexAKR/J) pregnancy showed little, if any, proliferation in response to the same stimulator cells. gamma delta T cell depletion from the uterine IEL in (C3H/HexAKR/J) pregnancy restored their responsiveness against AKR/J stimulator cells. Both gamma delta T cell-enriched fraction and alpha beta T cell-depleted fraction, but neither gamma delta T cell-depleted fraction nor alpha beta T cell-enriched fraction in the uterine IEL exhibited suppressive activity against allogeneic responses of nonpregnant C3H/He LN cells. This suppressive activity was shown by transferring the supernatant of culture medium in the uterine IEL stimulated with AKR/J cells that contained a large amount of TGF-beta, and the suppressive activity was significantly blocked by addition of anti-TGF-beta mAb to the culture. Taken together, our results suggest that gamma delta T cells in the uterine IEL suppress the maternal antifetal immune response at the maternal-fetal interface at least in part through TGF-beta production to prevent a rejection of the fetus.
Suzuki
T
T
Laboratory of Germfree Life, Nagoya University School of Medicine, Japan.
Hiromatsu
K
K
Ando
Y
Y
Okamoto
T
T
Tomoda
Y
Y
Yoshikai
Y
Y
D000818:Animals; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D004848:Epithelium / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000276:immunology*; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D007519:Isoantigens / Q000276:immunology; D007959:Lymphocyte Culture Test, Mixed; D051379:Mice; D008806:Mice, Inbred AKR; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D011247:Pregnancy; D011270:Pregnancy, Animal / Q000276:immunology*; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta / Q000276:immunology*; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology*; D014599:Uterus / Q000276:immunology*
D007519:Isoantigens; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta