Leukocyte subpopulation in ascites of women with pre-eclampsia

Pre-eclampsia is associated with excessive maternal systemic inflammatory response. The immune cells in ascites of pre-eclampsia have not been studied well. In order to investigate the inflammatory response in ascites of pre-eclampsia, we studied leukocytes subpopulation in ascites.

Maternal peripheral blood samples and ascites were taken from 10 cases of pre-eclampsia. Antibody-labeled cells were analyzed by flow cytometry.

The leukocytes subpopulation in ascites taken from pre-eclampsia was different from that in the peripheral blood. The largest population of leukocytes in ascites was CD14+ monocyte/macrophage. The percentages of macrophage, CD56+ cells, CD56 + 16-3- NK cell (immunoregulatory NK cell), and CD56 + 3+ T cell (CD56+ T cell including NK T cell) increased in ascites compared with those in the peripheral blood. The median percentages of CD56 + 16-3- NK cells were 22.2%. The half of the CD3+ T cells originated from the increased CD56 + 3+ T cells.

We demonstrated the accumulation of the macrophage and the CD56+ cells into the ascites taken from pre-eclampsia patients. This finding may relate to excessive inflammatory response in pre-eclampsia.