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Updated: Nov 4, 2025

Isolation of Leukocytes from the Murine Tissues at the Maternal-Fetal Interface
Published on: May 21, 2015
T helper cell immunity in pregnancy and influence on autoimmune disease progression
Jonathon J Graham1, Maria Serena Longhi2, Michael A Heneghan1
1Institute of Liver Studies, King's College Hospital, London, SE5 9RS, United Kingdom.
Abstract:
Pregnancy presents the maternal immune system with a unique immunological challenge since it has to defend against pathogens while tolerating paternal allo-antigens expressed by fetal tissues. T helper (Th) cells play a central role in modulating immune responses and recent advances have defined distinct contributions of various Th cell subsets throughout each phase of human pregnancy, while dysregulation in Th responses show association with multiple obstetrical complications. In addition to localized decidual mechanisms, modulation of Th cell immunity during gestation is mediated largely by oscillations in sex hormone concentrations. Aberrant Th cell responses also underlie several autoimmune disorders while pregnancy-induced changes in the balance of Th cell immunity has been shown to exert favorable outcomes in the progression Th1 and Th17 driven autoimmune conditions only to be followed by post-partal exacerbations in disease.
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