Maternal anti-placental cell-mediated reactivity and spontaneous abortions.
OBJECTIVE
Does Th1/Th2 balance determine pregnancy outcome, and if so, what determines Th1/Th2 balance in pregnancy?


METHODS
Review and synthesis of existing data.


RESULTS
A bias toward Th1 is strongly correlated with pregnancy failure in mice and humans. Pregnancy usually shifts the balance toward Th2 and placental factors/progesterone and progesterone-stimulated CD8+ T cell production of suppressor factor; TGFbeta2 and IL4/10 may be responsible. The bias toward a Th1 response may result from intracellular parasitic infection and other as yet undefined factors.


CONCLUSIONS
The Th1/Th2 balance thesis appears to be valid.
Raghupathy
R
R
Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait University.
D000026:Abortion, Habitual / Q000276:immunology; D000022:Abortion, Spontaneous / Q000276:immunology*; D000818:Animals; D015551:Autoimmunity; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D051379:Mice; D008808:Mice, Inbred CBA; D008811:Mice, Inbred DBA; D018448:Models, Immunological; D010920:Placenta / Q000276:immunology*; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000276:immunology*; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism
D016207:Cytokines