title: T lymphocyte subpopulations and lymphocyte proliferative activity in normal and pre-eclamptic pregnancy.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to assess whether any changes occur in the cellular immunity in normal and pre-eclamptic pregnancy. T lymphocyte subpopulations and the lymphocyte proliferative responses to mitogens (PHA, Con A, PWM) in the fetal calf serum were examined in normal pregnant and pre-eclamptic primiparas in the third trimester of pregnancy. In normal pregnancy the absolute and percentage numbers of CD3+ and CD4+ T cells were significantly lower and the CD4+/CD8+ ratio almost halved, in comparison with non-pregnant subjects. In the pre-eclamptic women a decreased absolute and percentage content of CD8+ T cells and increased percentage of CD3+ and CD4+ lymphocytes were found--in comparison with the normal pregnant women--which led to an almost 2.5-fold increase of the CD4+/CD8+ ratio. No disorders were found in the lymphocyte proliferative responses to mitogens in either normal or pre-eclamptic pregnancy. We conclude that despite the shifts among T lymphocyte subsets, mitogen-induced lymphocyte proliferation presents its functional stability and unchanged reactivity in normal and pre-eclamptic pregnancy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Military School of Medicine, Polish Mother's Memorial Hospital, Lodz.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Malinowski
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Szpakowski
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tchórzewski
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zeman
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pawlowicz
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wozniak
mesh_terms: D017252:CD3 Complex / Q000032:analysis; D016516:CD4-CD8 Ratio; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000473:pathology; D003208:Concanavalin A / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins / Q000494:pharmacology; D011043:Pokeweed Mitogens / Q000494:pharmacology; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000276:immunology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D017252:CD3 Complex; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins; D011043:Pokeweed Mitogens; D003208:Concanavalin A