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The role of invariant NKT cells in pre-eclampsia
Eva Miko1, Laszlo Szereday, Aliz Barakonyi
1Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Pecs University Medical School, Szigeti ut. 12, Pecs, Hungary.
Problem:
Recent data suggest a dominant role of the innate, rather than the adaptive immune system in pregnancy-related immunoregulation. Invariant NKT (iNKT) cells represent a link between the innate and the acquired immune systems; however, little is known about how they function in pre-eclampsia. The aim of our study was to investigate the possible role of iNKT cells in the pathogenesis of pre-eclampsia.
Method Of Study:
Human peripheral blood samples were obtained from pre-eclamptic, healthy pregnant- and non-pregnant women. Freshly separated peripheral blood mononuclear cells were immediately labeled with anti-perforin-, anti-CD69-, anti-CD95-, anti-NKG2A-, anti-NKG2D-, anti-IFN-gamma and anti iNKT antibodies and analyzed by flow cytometry.
Results:
Pre-eclamptic patients demonstrated increased CD69, perforin and IFN-gamma expression, which could be explained by dysregulation of NK cell receptor expression. These Th1 polarized cells were less susceptible to apoptosis than iNKT cells from healthy pregnant women.
Conclusion:
Our data suggest that activated iNKT cells of pre-eclamptic women have an increased cytotoxic potential, which may be because of altered expression of NK cell inhibitory and activating receptors.
