title: Impaired mixed lymphocyte reaction in intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To clarify the alteration of maternal-fetal mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR) in intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP).
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-two patients with intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy and 21 normal pregnant women were recruited into the present study. Of patients with ICP, 5 also experienced pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH). Maternal-fetal mixed lymphocyte reaction was conducted by using a morphologic transformation method, and the transformation rates of lymphocytes were compared either between ICP patients with and without pregnancy-induced hypertension, or between control and ICP group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the ICP group, the transformation rates of lymphocytes were not significantly different between pregnancies with and without pregnancy-induced hypertension (p > 0.5). Compared with control, the transformation rate of lymphocytes in intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy decreased significantly (p < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Suppressed mixed lymphocyte reaction was observed in intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy and its mechanism behind and role in the disease need to be further explored.
authors.affiliation: Women's Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejian, China. mydong@mial.hz.zj.cn
authors.forename: Minyue
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.forename: Xing
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: Zhengping
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Jianhong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Qi
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Cheng
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002780:Cholestasis, Intrahepatic / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications; D007959:Lymphocyte Culture Test, Mixed; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000276:immunology*