title: Maternal peripheral T-helper 1-type and T-helper 2-type immunity in nonpreeclamptic twin pregnancies.
abstract: The percentage of T-helper (Th)1, Th2 cells and the Th1:Th2 cell ratios in peripheral blood from 14 normal nonpregnant women, 23 normal pregnant women and 9 patients with twin pregnancies without preeclampsia at 28-32 weeks' gestation were calculated using flow cytometry. In normal pregnant women, the percentage of Th1 cells and Th1:Th2 ratios were significantly lower than those in nonpregnant women. In twin pregnancies, the percentage of Th1 cells and the Th1:Th2 ratios were significantly lower than those in non-pregnancies. In twin pregnancies; in addition, the percentage of Th1 cells was significantly lower than that in singleton pregnancies. Our findings show a markedly predominant Th2 immunity in twin pregnancies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nippon Medical School, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Shunji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Toyohiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kuwajima
authors.forename: Yoshio
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yoneyama
authors.forename: Rintaro
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sawa
authors.forename: Tsutomu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Araki
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011272:Pregnancy, Multiple / Q000276:immunology*; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D014427:Twins