Relation between adenosine and T-helper 1/T-helper 2 imbalance in women with preeclampsia.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the relationship between changes in plasma adenosine concentration and imbalances in the T-helper 1/T-helper 2 ratio in peripheral blood of women with preeclampsia.


METHODS
Plasma adenosine concentrations and the T-helper 1/T-helper 2 ratio were examined in the peripheral blood of 16 preeclamptic and normal pregnant women. The proportion of specific T-cell marker CD4-positive cells expressing intracellular cytokines, interferon-gamma derived from T-helper 1 and interleukin-4 derived from T-helper 2 cells, were analyzed by flow cytometry. The ratio of interferon-gamma secreting cells to interleukin-4 secreting cells was taken as the T-helper 1/T-helper 2 ratio in vivo. The effect of the adenosine-receptor blocker 8-sulfophenyltheophylline was also measured in vitro.


RESULTS
Mean plasma adenosine concentration in preeclampsia was significantly higher than that in normal pregnancy (0.68 +/- 0.07 micromol/L versus 0.39 +/- 0.06 micromol/L, P <.05). The proportions of interferon-gamma secreting cells increased and interleukin-4 secreting cells decreased significantly in preeclampsia, and the T-helper 1/T-helper 2 ratio in preeclampsia was significantly higher than in normal pregnancy (18.1 +/- 2.6 versus 9.9 +/- 1.5, P <.05). The increase of the proportion of interferon-gamma secreting cells after adenosine receptor blockade in preeclampsia significantly exceeded that of normal pregnancy. The T-helper 1/T-helper 2 ratio in preeclampsia was significantly greater than that in normal pregnancy (36% versus 17%, P <.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Increased plasma adenosine may be involved in the regulation of imbalances in the T-helper 1/T-helper 2 ratio in women with preeclampsia.
Yoneyama
Yoshio
Y
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nippon Medical School, Tokyo, Japan. Yoshi-1@nms.ac.jp
Suzuki
Shunji
S
Sawa
Rintaro
R
Yoneyama
Koichi
K
Power
Gordon G
GG
Araki
Tsutomu
T
D000241:Adenosine / Q000097:blood*; D000328:Adult; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000378:metabolism; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000097:blood*; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000097:blood*; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000378:metabolism; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000097:blood*; D011247:Pregnancy; D058915:Purinergic P1 Receptor Antagonists; D013806:Theophylline / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology
D007375:Interleukin-1; D007376:Interleukin-2; D058915:Purinergic P1 Receptor Antagonists; D015847:Interleukin-4; C031433:8-(4-sulfophenyl)theophylline; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D013806:Theophylline; D000241:Adenosine