title: Regulatory T cells, maternal-foetal immune tolerance and recurrent miscarriage: new therapeutic challenging opportunities.
abstract: Because maternal alloreactive lymphocytes are not depleted during pregnancy, local and/or systemic mechanisms have to play a key role in altering the maternal immune response. Peripheral T regulatory cells (pTregs) at the maternal-foetal interface are necessary in situ to prevent early abortion, but only those pTregs that have been previously exposed to paternal alloantigens. It has been showed that pregnancy selectively stimulates the accumulation of maternal Foxp3(+)CD4(+)CD25(+) (Foxp3Tregs) cells with foetal specificity. Interestingly, after delivery, foetal-specific pTregs persist at elevated levels, maintain tolerance to pre-existing foetal antigen, and rapidly re-accumulate during subsequent pregnancy. pTreg up-regulation could be hypothesized as a possible future therapeutic strategy in humans.
authors.affiliation: Systemic Autoimmune Disease Unit, Department of Internal Medicine I, Vall d'Hebron University Hospital, Spain; Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain. Electronic address: 16297jar@comb.es.
authors.forename: Jaume
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Alijotas-Reig
authors.affiliation: Obstetric Department, Vall d'Hebron University Hospital, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Taisiia
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Melnychuk
authors.affiliation: Reproductive Medicine Unit, Obstetric Department, Vall d'Hebron University Hospital, Universitat Autonòma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Josep Maria
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Gris
mesh_terms: D000026:Abortion, Habitual / Q000276:immunology* / Q000628:therapy; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000276:immunology; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007108:Immune Tolerance; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange / Q000276:immunology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; C418974:FOXP3 protein, human; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors
keywords: Abortos recurrentes; Citocinas; Cytokines; Células NK/KIR; Fracaso implantatorio; Implantation failure; Linfocitos T reguladores; Maternal–foetal tolerance; Miscarriages; NK cells/KIR; Regulatory-T lymphocytes; Tolerancia maternofetal; Tratamiento; Treatment