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Human Miscarriage is Associated with Increased Number of CD26 + Decidual Lymphocytes
Author(s) -
Sehmsdorf U. S.,
Zenclussen A. C.,
Arck P.,
Hertwig K.,
Joachim R. A.,
Klapp B.,
Hildebrandt M. O.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
scandinavian journal of immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.934
H-Index - 88
eISSN - 1365-3083
pISSN - 0300-9475
DOI - 10.1111/j.0300-9475.2004.01406.x
Subject(s) - decidua , cd8 , cytokine , endocrinology , medicine , decidual cells , dipeptidyl peptidase , andrology , biology , flow cytometry , immunology , immune system , pregnancy , fetus , placenta , biochemistry , genetics , enzyme
Dipeptidyl peptidase‐IV (DPP‐IV, CD26), a serine protease with broad distribution in mammalian tissues and known activity in serum, participates in T‐cell activation and promotes a Th1‐like cytokine response. Previous data on murine abortion indicate that DPP‐IV may play a critical role in pregnancy failure by inducing a Th1 local response. Here, we investigated the possible participation of DPP‐IV in the onset of human spontaneous abortion (SA). The systemic (peripheral blood) and local (decidua) percentages of CD4 + , CD8 + , CD26 + and CD56 + cells as well as the number of Th1 lymphocytes (CCR5 + cells) were assessed in samples from women after SAs ( n = 20) and from women with normally progressing pregnancies (NPs) ( n = 27) using flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry. We further measured the DPP‐IV activity and concentrations of Th1 (interferon‐γ and tumour necrosis factor‐α), Th2 [interleukin‐4 (IL‐4), IL‐10] and Th3 (transforming growth factor‐β2) cytokines in serum samples. We could not find any difference in the number of CD4 + , CD8 + , CD26 + , CD26 + /CD4 + or CD8 + /CD26 + blood cells between NP and SA patients. No differences in the Th1, Th2 or Th3 cytokine levels could be observed between both groups. However, the percentages of decidual CD26 + lymphocytes as well as the number of decidual Th1 cells were significantly higher in SA samples compared to samples from patients with NP. Our data support the hypothesis that CD26 + decidual lymphocytes with DPP‐IV activity may play a critical role in SAs, as previously suggested in an abortion mice model. This abortive effect may be mediated by enhancing the levels of Th1 abortogenic cytokines only locally.