title: Immunological Adaptations to Pregnancy in Women with Type 1 Diabetes.
abstract: Despite adequate glycemic control, pregnancy outcome of women with type 1 diabetes (T1D) is still unfavorable as compared to healthy women. In a rat-model of T1D under normoglycemic conditions, adverse pregnancy outcome was also observed, which was associated with aberrant immunological adaptations to pregnancy. Because similar processes may occur in women with T1D we studied the systemic immune response in non-pregnant and pregnant women with and without T1D. The systemic immune response was assessed by using flow cytometry to evaluate the number and activational status of subpopulations of lymphocytes, Natural Killer cells and monocytes in peripheral blood of non-pregnant and pregnant women with and without T1D. An increased white blood cell count, an increased Th1/Th2 ratio, increased Natural Killer cell expression of CD335 and enhanced activation of intermediate and non-classical monocytes was observed in pregnant women with T1D vs. healthy pregnant women. Also, the pregnancy outcome (i.e. incidence of preterm delivery and macrosomia) of women with T1D was unfavorable as compared to healthy women. This study showed that in T1D, the immunological adaptations to pregnancy are disturbed. In addition to hyperglycemia, these different immunological adaptations may be responsible for the greater frequency of complications in pregnant women with T1D.
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, 9700 RB, the Netherlands.|Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, 9700 RB, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Bart
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Groen
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Medical Biology, Div. of Medical Biology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, 9700 RB, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Anne-Eva
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: van der Wijk
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, 9700 RB, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Paul P
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: van den Berg
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, 9700 RB, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Joop D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Lefrandt
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, 9700 RB, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Gerrit
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: van den Berg
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, 9700 RB, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Krystina M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Sollie
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Medical Biology, Div. of Medical Biology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, 9700 RB, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: de Vos
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, 9700 RB, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Thera P
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Links
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, 9700 RB, the Netherlands.|Department of Pathology and Medical Biology, Div. of Medical Biology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, 9700 RB, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Marijke M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Faas
mesh_terms: D000222:Adaptation, Physiological / Q000276:immunology*; D000328:Adult; D001772:Blood Cell Count; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D011247:Pregnancy; D011254:Pregnancy in Diabetics