title: Pre-eclampsia is not associated with changes in the levels of regulatory T cells in peripheral blood.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The acceptance of the semi-allogeneic fetus within the maternal environment requires tolerance mechanisms not fully characterized yet. Normal pregnancy is known to be associated with a Th2 profile. Furthermore, regulatory T cells (Tregs) were proposed to regulate the Th2/Th1 balance at early stages of pregnancy. Treg may avoid the shift to a Th1 profile, thus preventing miscarriage. Accordingly, spontaneous abortion is characterized by a Th1 dominance and diminished levels of Treg. The major aim of the present work was to investigate if pre-eclampsia, a late immunological complication of pregnancy, is characterized by similar hallmarks.
  
  
  METHODS
  We measured the surface antigens CD4, CD25, CD8 and CTLA4 in peripheral blood from patients suffering from pre-eclampsia (n = 8) and age-matched patients undergoing normal pregnancies (n = 9) by four-color flow cytometry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We were not able to find any significant differences in the levels of CD4(+), CD25(+), CD8(+), CTLA4, CD4(+)/CD25(+), CD4(+)/CD25(bright), CD4(+)/CTLA4, CD25(+)/CTLA4, CD4(+)/CD25(+)/CTLA4, CD8(+)/CD25(+), CD8(+)/CTLA4 or CD8(+)/CD25(+)/CTLA4 cell subsets.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data confirm comparable number of Tregs during pre-eclampsia and normal pregnancy in peripheral blood. Other regulatory mechanisms might be involved during late pregnancy.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Immunology, Charité, Medical University of Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Steffen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Paeschke
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Nadja
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Horn
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fotopoulou
authors.forename: Annarosa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zambon-Bertoja
authors.forename: Andre
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sollwedel
authors.forename: Maria Laura
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Zenclussen
authors.forename: Pablo Ariel
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Casalis
authors.forename: Joachim W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Dudenhausen
authors.forename: Hans-Dieter
authors.initials: HD
authors.lastname: Volk
authors.forename: Ana Claudia
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Zenclussen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000276:immunology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD