Defects in CD54 and CD86 Up-regulation by Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cells During Pregnancy

Abstract

Physiological modulation of the immune system is required for foetal tolerance during pregnancy. However, this immune regulation might lead to impaired self-defence against pathogens. Indeed, pregnant women are more susceptible to newly encountered viruses comparing to non-pregnant women, as exemplified by the prevalence of severe complications in pregnant women infected with the pandemic influenza virus in 2009. Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) are specialized dendritic cells that recognise viral antigens and initiate both innate and adaptive immune responses. We therefore sought to determine whether the number and/or the functions of peripheral blood pDCs are regulated during pregnancy. pDC maturation and interferon (IFN)-α production were analysed in response to Toll-like receptor (TLR) stimulation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells from pregnant and non-pregnant women. Our results reveal that pDC frequency is slightly decreased, while the IFN-α production in response to TLR stimulation increases during pregnancy. Interestingly, the up-regulation of the co-stimulatory receptors CD54 (ICAM1) and CD86 is significantly decreased in pDCs from pregnant women as compared to controls, suggesting a possible impact on T-cell responses. In conclusion, we propose that the modulation of CD54 and CD86 expression on peripheral blood pDCs during pregnancy might decrease the initiation of adaptive antiviral immune responses.

• Plasmacytoid dendritic cell
• Pregnancy
• CD54
• CD86
• Interferon-alpha
• Progesterone

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors thank Frédéric Michaud for the progesterone dosage, Lubomir Alexandrov for the statistical analysis and Sophie Perreault for the recruitment. The authors also thank Ekat Kritikou, Catherine Girard and Jade Hindié for critical reading and helpful comments.

This work was supported by the Fondation Charles-Bruneau and Fonds de Recherche en Santé du Québec.

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.