Peripheral Th1/Th2/Th17/regulatory T-cell balance in asthmatic pregnancy

Abstract

Asthma is a common chronic disease that may complicate pregnancy and a risk factor for complications; however, immunological mechanisms of the bilateral interactions between asthma and pregnancy are not fully understood. Healthy gestation is characterized by a sensitive balance of T(h)1/T(h)2/T(h)17/regulatory T (Treg) cells that may be altered in asthmatic pregnancy. The aim of this study was to describe the prevalence of these cell subsets in asthmatic compared with healthy pregnancy. The prevalence of T(h)1, T(h)2, T(h)17 and Treg lymphocytes was identified by cell surface and intracellular marker staining in blood samples of 24 healthy non-pregnant (HNP), 23 healthy pregnant (HP), 15 asthmatic non-pregnant (ANP) and 15 asthmatic pregnant (AP) women using flow cytometry. The T(h)1/T(h)2 cell ratio was decreased in both HP and ANP compared with HNP women; however, no further decrease was observed in the AP group. The T(h)17/Treg ratio was decreased in HP, but not in AP women, compared with HNP data. Healthy pregnancy increased Treg cell prevalence compared with HNP data (4.64% versus 2.98%; P < 0.05), and this pregnancy-induced elevation was absent in AP women (2.52% versus 4.64%; P < 0.05). T(h)17 cell prevalence was similar in the HP and HNP groups (2.78% versus 3.17%; P > 0.05). Asthma increased T(h)17 prevalence in non-pregnant patients (3.81% versus 3.17%; P < 0.05), and this asthma-specific increase of T(h)17 cell prevalence was also observed in AP patients (AP versus HP: 3.44% versus 2.78%; P < 0.05). The abnormal asthma-dependent T(h)17 elevation together with blunted Treg increase may play a role in the compromised immune tolerance characterizing asthmatic pregnancy.

Expression of Serum Cytokine( Il-17) and Oxidative Stress Marker (Gsh) in Iraqi Pregnant Women With Pre-Eclampsia.

“…These results not only help to understand the etiology of preeclampsia, but also provide a novel rationale for the prevention or intervention of PE via regulation of the balance of Th17/Treg cells. Our results are consistent with recent data by Santner-Nanan et al demonstrating that it is the balance between Tregs and Th17 cells that is critical to maintain tolerance to the fetus and prevents PE patients [36][37][38].…”

Decidual stromal cells recruit Th17 cells into decidua to promote proliferation and invasion of human trophoblast cells by secreting IL-17

“…Recent data show the Th17 prevalence is similar in healthy pregnancy to healthy non-pregnant controls. 24 The difference from our study is the previous data focused on the second and third trimesters, while our studies examined the first trimester.…”

Th17 and Regulatory T cells in Women with Recurrent Pregnancy Loss

“…However, several reports have published that circulating Th17 cells were not different between non-pregnant state and each trimester 51 or between non-pregnant period and a certain period of pregnancy. 64,65 Nakashima et al 51 showed that the proportion of decidual Th17 cells was significantly higher than that of circulating Th17 cells in the first trimester. Furthermore, the Th17/Foxp3 + regulatory T-cell ratio was decreased in normal 2nd and 3rd trimester pregnant women as compared to that in healthy non-pregnant women.…”