Role of Endogenous Melatonin in the Regulation of Th17/Treg Balance during Pregnancy

N S Glebezdina1, A A Olina2, I V Nekrasova3

  • 1Institute of Ecology and Genetics of Microorganisms, Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Perm, Russia. glebezdina_n@mail.ru.

We studied the role of endogenous melatonin in the development and functioning of T cells that produce IL-17 (Th17) and regulatory T cells (Treg) during pregnancy. The study was performed ex vivo and in vitro with auto-serum as the source of endogenous melatonin under conditions of blockade of melatonin-dependent signaling. Participation of the hormone in the regulation of differentiation of both CD4+RORγt+ and CD4+FoxP3+T cells and their key products IL-17A and TGF-β was demonstrated. It is known that the normal gestational process is accompanied by a decrease in Th17/Treg ratio due to hormonal changes. The sensitivity of the studied subpopulations to melatonin during pregnancy can affect its outcome.

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