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[HLA molecules, immunity and gestation]

P Le Bouteiller1

  • 1Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale, unité 395, centre hospitalo-universitaire de Purpan, BP 3028, 31024 Toulouse, France. phil.lb@purpan.inserm.fr

During pregnancy, the fetus develops particularly efficient molecular regulatory mechanisms to prevent possible maternal anti-paternal alloimmune response and avoid viral spreading from maternal tissue. Among the different mechanisms, there has been noted a selective expression of HLA molecules on trophoblast cells: the absence of HLA class II and of polymorphic HLA-A and HLA-B expression but presence of both non polymorphic HLA-G and HLA-E class Ib as well as of HLA-C class Ia. The functional consequences of such a particular pattern of HLA expression in gestation are examined here.

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