At the innate frontiers between mother and fetus: linking abortion with complement activation.
The intricate mechanisms regulating fetomaternal interactions are still largely uncharacterized. Recent papers have revealed a major role for the innate immune system during abortion. Different experimental conditions-deletion of a complement regulator, injection of anti-phospholipid antibodies into mothers, or allo-recognition of fetuses in the presence of an IDO inhibitor-all lead to complement activation, inflammation, and fetal loss. These observations also raise new questions on the relationship between the adaptive and innate systems during pregnancy.
Caucheteux
Stéphane M
SM
Jacques Monod Institute, Laboratory of Immune Regulations and Development, UMR7592, CNRS, Paris cedex, France.
Kanellopoulos-Langevin
Colette
C
Ojcius
David M
DM
D000022:Abortion, Spontaneous / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology*; D000818:Animals; D003167:Complement Activation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D018448:Models, Immunological; D011247:Pregnancy