Studies on Mitogen-lnduced Lymphocyte Transformation and the Effect of Pregnancy Serum on Mitogen-lnduced Normal Lymphocyte Culture

Abstract

It is recognised that there is a non-reactive status in the maternal immune system during normal pregnancy as it fails to recognise the fetus which is an allograft. The present study was aimed to understand the nature of cell-mediated immune response and the presence of immunosuppressive factors during human pregnancy. The functional reactivity of lymphocytes was found to be reduced during pregnancy, particularly in the third trimester, as phytohaemagglutinin- and concanavalin-A-induced lymphocyte transformation was affected. It was also observed that in primigravidae and pregnant women with a history of repeated abortions the lymphocyte reactivity was not reduced during the first and second trimesters, but there was a marked reduction in the third trimester. However, in the case of multigravidae there was no change in lymphocyte transformation between the trimesters. When pregnancy serum from various trimesters was tested for its suppressive activity, it was found to suppress the mitogen-induced proliferation of lymphocytes from normal donors. Sera from primigravidae and patients with a history of abortion showed the highest suppressive activity in the third trimester, whereas sera from multigravidae showed high suppression in all the trimesters.

Lymphocyte Transformation of Hepatitis B Virus Infected Pregnant Women, Attending Specialist Hospital Sokoto

“…Also there was no significant difference (P > 0.05), for Con A and PHA lymphocyte function between second trimester control compared with third trimester control. This study is in agreement with Birkeland and Kristoffersen [40] that demonstrated no change in lymphocyte transformation using phytohaemagglutinin in the different stages in pregnancy; however this study is in variance with Saleem et al [41] and Yamamoto et al [42] that showed a significant diminishing difference of lymphocyte transformation between the trimesters. However, Saleem et al [41] recorded that mutigravidae pregnant women has little or no change in their lymphocyte transformation while primigravidae pregnant women and pregnant women who had had repeated abortion may show a drastic difference in their lymphocyte transformation in their different stages.…”

“…This study is in agreement with Birkeland and Kristoffersen [40] that demonstrated no change in lymphocyte transformation using phytohaemagglutinin in the different stages in pregnancy; however this study is in variance with Saleem et al [41] and Yamamoto et al [42] that showed a significant diminishing difference of lymphocyte transformation between the trimesters. However, Saleem et al [41] recorded that mutigravidae pregnant women has little or no change in their lymphocyte transformation while primigravidae pregnant women and pregnant women who had had repeated abortion may show a drastic difference in their lymphocyte transformation in their different stages. The findings of this study also revealed a significantly lowered (P < 0.05) stimulation rate in each case for phytohaemagglutinin compared to concanavalin A in second trimester test, third trimester test, second trimester control and third trimester control.…”

Antigen-Presenting Cells in the Female Reproductive Tract: Influence of Estradiol on Antigen Presentation by Vaginal Cells1

“…Because semen is deposited in the vagina at this time, our findings suggest that the presence of allogeneic sperm in the vagina coincides with a transient down-regulation of the afferent arm of the immune system, possibly to decrease the chance of sensitization to sperm. That immune suppression does occur in the female reproductive tract is well documented at the time of implantation and throughout pregnancy (23)(24)(25)(26). Mediated, in part, through the actions of TGF-␤, NK cells are suppressed at the site of implantation (27,28).…”