Distribution and maturity of dendritic cells in diseases of insufficient placentation.
OBJECTIVE
The immunological equilibrium at the feto-maternal interphase contributes towards late gestational diseases like growth restriction (IUGR) pre-eclampsia (PE) and hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, low platelets (HELLP)-syndrome. The state of activation of decidual dendritic cells (DC) has emerged as one of the central players influencing this immunological equilibrium.


METHODS
Paraffin-embedded tissue sections from 27 pregnancies were immunostained for DC markers DEC-205, DC-SIGN, DC-LAMP and costained for DC-SIGN/CD56 and DC-SIGN/ vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR) -1 and -2. We investigated placental tissue of IUGR fetuses and of patients who developed PE or HELLP-syndrome as well as placental tissue derived from normal pregnancies.


RESULTS
We found that expression of DEC-205 and DC-SIGN was significantly upregulated in HELLP placentas, whereas expression of DC-LAMP was abrogated almost entirely. Costaining showed an interaction between DC-SIGN(+) DC and natural killer cells as well as costaining of VEGFR-1 and -2 and DC-SIGN. Pre-eclamptic and IUGR placentas showed no significant change in any of the investigated markers compared to normal controls.


CONCLUSIONS
Our data suggest a participation of DC-mediated immunological mechanisms in HELLP syndrome.
Scholz
Christoph
C
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology - Maistrasse, Ludwig-Maximilians University, Munich, Germany.
Toth
Bettina
B
Santoso
Laura
L
Kuhn
Christina
C
Franz
Maximilian
M
Mayr
Doris
D
Jeschke
Udo
U
Friese
Klaus
K
Schiessl
Barbara
B
D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000378:metabolism; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000378:metabolism; D003656:Decidua / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005317:Fetal Growth Retardation / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D017359:HELLP Syndrome / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology; D037181:Lectins, C-Type / Q000378:metabolism; D051907:Lysosomal Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D015778:Minor Histocompatibility Antigens; D010929:Placentation; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D011247:Pregnancy; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000378:metabolism; D040262:Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor / Q000378:metabolism; D000099215:DC-Specific ICAM-3 Grabbing Nonintegrin
D015703:Antigens, CD; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D037181:Lectins, C-Type; D051907:Lysosomal Membrane Proteins; D015778:Minor Histocompatibility Antigens; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D040262:Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor; D000099215:DC-Specific ICAM-3 Grabbing Nonintegrin; C093569:DEC-205 receptor