Abstract
Evaluation of: Santner-Nanan B, Peck MP, Khanam L et al. Systemic increase in the ratio between Foxp3+ and IL-17-producing CD4+ T cells in healthy pregnancy but not in preeclampsia. J. Immunol. 183(11), 7023–7030 (2009).
TGF-β promotes the expansion of immune-suppressive regulatory T (Treg) cells, and suppresses the proliferation of proinflammatory IL-17-producing (Th17) cells. This activity is antagonized by soluble endoglin, the levels of which are significantly elevated in preeclampsia. On this basis, an analysis of these two regulatory immune cell types was made in nonpregnant controls, healthy pregnancies and cases with preeclampsia. Multiparameter flow cytometry for cell-surface markers, intracellular transcription factors and cytokines indicated that pregnancy was associated with an increase in the number of immune-suppressive Treg cells and a decrease in the number of proinflammatory Th17 cells. No such alteration was found to occur in preeclampsia, suggesting that this disorder may be associated with a proinflammatory T-cell immune response and failure to mount a sufficient number of immune-suppressive Treg cells.
Financial & competing interests disclosure
The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.
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