Natural Killer Cell Cytotoxicity and Antibody‐Dependent Cellular Cytotoxicity to Herpes Simplex Virus‐Infected Cells in Human Pregnancy

Gonik, Bernard; Loo, Liam S.; West, Stewart; Kohl, Steve

doi:10.1111/j.1600-0897.1987.tb00084.x

Cited by 22 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…Although a woman's humoral immune response is unaltered or possibly strengthened during gestation, her cell-mediated immune response is weakened (Bisset et al 1990;Formby 1995;Sabahi et al 1995;Blumberg and Heal 1996;Lim et al 1996). Numerous investigators have reported that the activities of natural killer cells are depressed during pregnancy (e.g., Barrett et al 1982;Gonik et al 1987;Salm6ron et al 1991;Haig 1993;Beer et al 1996;Gennaro and Fehder 1996;Matthiesen et al 1996; but see Hidaka et al 1991;Opsahl et al 1994). This occurs in some nonhuman mammals as well (Chaouat and Menu 1997).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Morning Sickness: A Mechanism for Protecting Mother and Embryo

Flaxman¹,

Sherman²

2000

The Quarterly Review of Biology

279

185

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Approximately two-thirds of women experience nausea or vomiting during the first trimester of pregnancy. These symptoms are commonly known as morning sickness. Hook (1976) and Profet (1988) hypothesized that morning sickness protects the embryo by causing pregnant women to physically expel and subsequently avoid foods that contain teratogenic and abortifacient chemicals, especially toxic chemicals in strong-tasting vegetables, caffeinated beverages and alcohol. We examined this hypothesis by comprehensively reviewing the relevant medical, psychological and anthropological literature. In its support, (i) symptoms peak when embryonic organogenesis is most susceptible to chemical disruption (weeks 6-18), (ii) women who experience morning sickness are significantly less likely to miscarry than women who do not (9 of 9 studies), (iii) women who vomit suffer fewer miscarriages than those who experience nausea alone, and (iv) many pregnant women have aversions to alcoholic and nonalcoholic (mostly caffeinated) beverages and strong-tasting vegetables, especially during the first trimester. Surprisingly, however, the greatest aversions are to meats, fish, poultry, and eggs. A cross-cultural analysis using the Human Relations Area Files revealed 20 traditional societies in which morning sickness has been observed and seven in which it has never been observed. The latter were significantly less likely to have animal products as dietary staples and significantly more likely to have only plants (primarily corn) as staples than the 20 societies in which morning sickness occurred. Animal products may be dangerous to pregnant women and their embryos because they often contain parasites and pathogens, especially when stored at room temperatures in warm climates. Avoiding foodborne microorganisms is particularly important to pregnant women because they are immunosuppressed, presumably to reduce the chances of rejecting tissues of their own offspring (Haig 1993). As a result, pregnant women are more vulnerable to serious, often deadly infections. We hypothesize that morning sickness causes women to avoid foods that might be dangerous to themselves or their embryos, especially foods that, prior to widespread refrigeration, were likely to be heavily laden with microorganisms and their toxins. The alternative hypotheses that morning sickness is (i) an epiphenomenon of mother-offspring genetic conflict or hormones associated with viable pregnancies, or (ii) an indicator to potential sexual partners and kin that the woman is pregnant, resulting in reduced sexual behavior and increased nepotistic aid, were not well supported. Available data are most consistent with the hypothesis that morning sickness serves an adaptive, prophylactic function.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Morning Sickness: A Mechanism for Protecting Mother and Embryo

Flaxman¹,

Sherman²

2000

The Quarterly Review of Biology

279

185

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…In vitro data show normal antibody-dependent natural killer (NK) cell cytotoxicity in pregnancy [27]; similarly, serum complement levels are unchanged, or slightly higher [36].…”

Section: Humoral Immunity In Pregnancymentioning

confidence: 99%

Pregnancy, immunosupression and reactivation of latent toxoplasmosis

Biedermann¹,

Flepp²,

Fierz³

et al. 1995

Jpme

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Toxoplasmosis is a chronic, latent infection which can be reactivated in the presence of immunosuppression. The critical question in obstetrics is whether toxoplasmosis may be reactivated in the presence of the physiological "immunosuppression" of pregnancy. Standard in vitro tests, done in 24 healthy pregnant women and compared with the literature, show no significant changes in humoral and cellular immunity during pregnancy. However, the fact that some infections occur more frequently and more severely than in non-pregnant women (e.g. those due to cytomegalovirus (CMV) and human papilloma virus (HPV) points to a degree of pregnancy-associated immunosuppression. Non-rejection of the semiallogenic fetus is achieved in presence of maternal immunocompetence and is explained mainly by local changes in immune function, mediated by inhibitors of decidual, placental and fetal origin, and by the absence of class II histocompatibility antigens at the fetomaternal interface. Immune status allowing reactivation of toxoplasmosis was studied in a selected group of (predominantly male) AIDS patients from the Swiss HIV Cohort study. Shortly before (cerebral) reactivation of toxoplasmosis, 92% of these patients had very low CD4 lymphocyte counts (mean 50 cells/microliters, i.e. lower than ever recorded in a normal uncomplicated pregnancy). In a larger population of 48 women receiving immunosuppressive therapy after organ transplantation, not a single case of cerebral toxoplasmosis was observed during pregnancy, while in the 105 HIV-positive women in the Swiss HIV and Pregnancy study, there was only one case of cerebral toxoplasmosis during pregnancy and the puerperium (20 CD4/microliters), even though some 17% of those sampled (18/105) had CD4 levels below 200 cells/microliters on at least one occasion during pregnancy. These findings explain why latent toxoplasmosis is not reactivated in normal pregnancy, and why it is only likely in an immunosuppressed mother when her CD4 lymphocyte count is very low (< 200 cells/microliters). In such cases, a prophylactic treatment to prevent maternal reactivation and vertical transmission of toxoplasmosis may be useful.

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“…HSV also has the ability of persistence in a latent state in some infected tissues and to cause recurrent exacerbations and secondary infections [17]. The state of pregnancy may predispose to HSV reactivation due to decreased cellular immune response to HSV and its enhanced virulence [11,18,19].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Detection of Herpes simplex Virus (HSV) in Aborted Material Using the Polymerase Chain Reaction Technique

Sifakis

Koumantakis

Koffa

et al. 1998

Gynecol Obstet Invest

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Objective: To investigate the contribution of HSV to the aetiopathogenesis of spontaneous abortion. Design: A hospital-based, case-control study. Setting: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital and Laboratory of Clinical Virology, Medical School, University of Crete, Heraklion, Crete, Greece. Population and Methods: Abortion material from 102 cases of women with spontaneous abortion was analysed for the presence of HSV DNA applying the PCR technique. Serological assays were used for the detection of specific IgM and IgG antibodies in the maternal sera of 90 pregnant women with successful outcome of their pregnancy while 70 non-pregnant women at reproductive age were also examined as control. Results: The HSV genome was detected by PCR amplification in 3 cases of spontaneous abortion, 2 of them exhibited serological markers of virus reactivation while the 3rd showed a past infection. There were no obvious clinical manifestations indicating a current herpes infection. Both groups of pregnant women, either with spontaneous abortion or with a successful outcome of pregnancy, displayed serological markers of HSV reactivation at higher rates compared with non-pregnant women (χ², p < 0.05). Conclusions: Using the PCR technique we were able to detect the HSV genome in gestational tissues of spontaneous abortions, even in cases without any clinical symptoms or seropositivity for a primary infection. Serological assays were not very useful for the elucidation of the role of HSV in inducing spontaneous abortions, although they indicate that the state of pregnancy predisposes to HSV reactivation. However, the detection of HSV in 3 out of a total number of 102 cases does not support HSV infection as a major abortion-related factor.

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Natural Killer Cell Cytotoxicity and Antibody‐Dependent Cellular Cytotoxicity to Herpes Simplex Virus‐Infected Cells in Human Pregnancy

Cited by 22 publications

References 23 publications

Morning Sickness: A Mechanism for Protecting Mother and Embryo

Morning Sickness: A Mechanism for Protecting Mother and Embryo

Pregnancy, immunosupression and reactivation of latent toxoplasmosis

Detection of Herpes simplex Virus (HSV) in Aborted Material Using the Polymerase Chain Reaction Technique

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