Regulation of expression of membrane molecules and apoptosis of human lymphocyte by leptin and ghrelin during pregnancy

This work was designed to study effects of leptin and/or ghrelin in combinations characteristic of different trimesters of pregnancy on the expression of membrane molecules and apoptosis of lymphocyte in the peripheral blood of women. Leptin was shown to decrease the relative number of activated Th-cells and apoptosis of lymphocytes. Moreover, it either increased or decreased the number of CD16+CD56+NK and CD16+CD56+NKT cells depending on the dose but did not change the number of T-lymphocytes CD4+CD25bright. In contrast, ghrelin caused a dose-dependent increase in the number of activated Th-cells and enhanced lymphocyte apoptosis but did not influence the number of CD16+CD56+NK, CD16+CD56+NKT cells, and T-lymphocytes CD4+CD25bright. Simultaneous administration of both hormones in combinations known to occur in the first and second trimesters of pregnancy did not change percentage of activated Th-cells, the relative number of CD16+CD56+NK and CD16+CD56+NKT cells or apoptosis of lymphocytes. However, they stimulated expression of CD25 on Th-cells and CD16 on NK-cells.