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Updated: Aug 13, 2026

Isolation of Leukocytes from the Human Maternal-fetal Interface
Published on: May 21, 2015
[Immunological function of monocytes in pregnancy and the puerperium]
M C Rodríguez Rodríguez1, J L Subiza Garrido-Lestache, P Mateos Burguillo
1Servicio de Pediatría, Hospital Universitario de San Carlos, Madrid.
Abstract:
Many immunological parameters are depressed during pregnancy. We have performed functional studies on monocytes from puerperal mothers and found a diminished phagocytic capacity. In contrast, chemotactic function of monocytes, but not of polymorphonuclear cells, from puerperal mothers and pregnant women, was enhanced. This could facilitate their migration to tissues and their presence in milk where they make up a large proportion of the cells and can play an important role in protecting newborns against infection.
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