New insights into maternal-fetal interactions at implantation.
The immunotrophic theory was enunciated by Tom Wegmann. Since then, the involvement of cytokines in implantation and materno-fetal tolerance has emerged as a central topic in reproductive immunology. This brief survey covers the historical background leading to the specification of the crucial role of cytokines at the feto-maternal interface, and the present known patterns of their function. Focus is addressed to the most recent concept, e.g. pregnancy as a Th2 phenomenon (the immune response of the mother is biased towards the production of anti inflammatory cytokines, amongst them IL-10 which suppress inflammatory responses). A brief description of the role of inflammatory cytokines in implantation is presented to explain why it does not fit into such a scheme, and other recent data, for example on gamma interferon, also fails to accord with the Th2 phenomenon.
Chaouat
Gérard
G
U 131 INSERM, Equipe cytokines et relation materno foetale, Hôpital Antoine Béclère. 92141 Clamart, France.
Zourbas
Sandrine
S
Ostojic
Sasa
S
Lapprée-Delage
Geneviève
G
Dubanchet
Sylvie
S
Ledée
Natalie
N
Martal
Jacques
J