[Subpopulations of t lymphocytes and lymphocyte proliferative activity in normal pregnancy]

T lymphocyte subpopulations (CD3+, CD4+, CD8+) and the lymphocyte proliferative responses to mitogens (PHA, Con A, PWM), in the environment of fetal calf serum (FCS) were examined in 16 normal primigravidas in the third trimester of pregnancy and in 15 healthy nonpregnant women. In normal pregnant women significantly lower absolute and percentage numbers of CD3+ and CD4+ T cells and almost twice reduced CD4+/CD8+ ratio were found, in comparison with nonpregnant subjects. Despite the shifts among particular T lymphocyte subsets in the peripheral blood, non disorders were found in the lymphocyte proliferative responses to mitogens in normal pregnancy.