Changes in T-cell phenotype and cytokines profile in maternal blood, cord blood and colostrum of diabetic mothers

Abstract

Objective: The present study evaluated the cells and cytokine of maternal blood, cord blood and colostrum of diabetic mothers.

Methods: The women evaluated were divided according to their body mass index (BMI) and glycemic status into non-diabetic (ND – N = 15), mild gestational hyperglycemic (MGH – N = 15), diabetes mellitus gestational (DMG – N = 13) and type-2 diabetes mellitus (DM2 – N = 15) groups. The subsets of cells and cytokine profile were determined by flow cytometry.

Results: Maternal blood from MGH group had increase percentage of CD3⁺T cells, and DM-2 group had decrease percentage of CD4⁺ T cells. The cord blood from hyperglycemic groups showed lower percentage of CD3⁺ T cells expressing CD45RO⁺ and higher of CD4⁺ T cells and CD4⁺ T cells expressing CD45RA⁺. In the colostrum, the CD4⁺ T cells and CD4⁺ T cells expressed CD45RA⁺ increase in hyperglycemic groups. The DM2 group exhibited higher IL17 levels in maternal blood. IFN-γ was lower in cord blood from MGH and DMG groups with overweight/obese. Irrespective of the glycemic status, IL6 was higher in colostrum.

Conclusion: The results obtained suggest that maternal hyperglycemia modifies the phenotypes of T cells and cytokines profile in maternal, cord blood and colostrum.

• Blood
• colostrum
• cytokines
• diabetic pregnancies
• T cells

Acknowledgements

We are very grateful to the Diabetes and Pregnancy Referral Service, Botucatu Medical School, São Paulo State University/UNESP, Brazil.

Declaration of interest

This research was supported by FAPESP (No 2011-18045-5; No 2011-23671-2; 2012/18033-0; 2012/24212-4), FAPEMAT (No. 158085/2014) and CNPq (No 308702/2013-1; No 475238/2013-3). The authors declare no conflict of interest and non-financial competing interests.