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Isolation of Primary Human Decidual Cells from the Fetal Membranes of Term Placentae
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Published on: April 30, 2018

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Enrichment of decidual CD11c + CD8 + T cells with altered immune function in early pregnancy loss

Ling Guo1,2,3, Anliang Guo1,3, Yaqiu Guo4

  • 1State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine and Offspring Health, Center for Reproductive Medicine, The Second Hospital, Institute of Women, Children and Reproductive Health, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China.

Nature Communications
|July 21, 2025
PubMed

Early pregnancy loss (EPL) is closely associated with imbalances in the maternal-foetal immune microenvironment. Here we identify CD11c + CD8 + T cells, an unconventional cytotoxic T cell subset, as significantly enriched and activated in EPL cases. These cells contribute to immune dysregulation and inhibit trophoblast invasion through secreting granzyme B, perforin, CD107a, TNF-α, and IFN-γ. Furthermore, we present an effective early prediction model for EPL, based on cytokine and cytotoxic molecule profiles of CD11c + CD8 + T cells in maternal serum, collected 12-16 days post-embryo transfer. Functional assays reveal that IFN-γ triggers trophoblast pyroptosis via the NLRP3/Caspase-1/GSDMD pathway, impairing trophoblast invasion. In vivo validation using abortion-prone mice and an anti-4-1BB antibody-induced model of CD11c + CD8 + T cell activation confirms increased embryo resorption and reduced trophoblast infiltration. These findings highlight the role of dysregulated CD11c + CD8 + T cells at the maternal-foetal interface in EPL, and suggest their potential as biomarkers and therapeutic targets for EPL-management.

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