title: The etiological role of allogeneic fetal rejection in pre-eclampsia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  It has been demonstrated that allogeneic fetal rejection in normal pregnancy is prevented by placental indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO). Further, an immunological etiology has been implicated in pre-eclampsia.
  
  
  METHODS
  We examined the differences in placental IDO activity between normal and pre-eclamptic pregnancies.
  
  
  RESULTS
  IDO mRNA expression and enzyme activity levels in the placenta were low in patients with severe pre-eclampsia. The enzyme activity also inversely correlates with the blood pressure of the patients. In the placentas from severe pre-eclampsia, IDO immunoreactivity was low, whereas regional T-cell infiltration was observed reciprocally proportional to the IDO activity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings implicate a potential role for IDO activity and a maternal immunological reaction against an allogeneic fetus in the etiology of pre-eclampsia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Fujita Health University, School of Medicine, Toyoake, Aichi, Japan. nharuki@fujita-hu.ac.jp
authors.forename: Haruki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nishizawa
authors.forename: Kiyoshi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hasegawa
authors.forename: Machiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Shingo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kamoshida
authors.forename: Takema
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.forename: Kuniaki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Saito
authors.forename: Yutaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tsutsumi
authors.forename: Hiroki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kurahashi
authors.forename: Yasuhiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Udagawa
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000503:physiopathology*; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D050503:Indoleamine-Pyrrole 2,3,-Dioxygenase / Q000378:metabolism*; D010920:Placenta / Q000201:enzymology*; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000209:etiology; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000378:metabolism*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D050503:Indoleamine-Pyrrole 2,3,-Dioxygenase