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Published on: May 21, 2015
Maternal Thymus Adaptations and Hormone Regulation During Pregnancy
Ling Yang1, Xinxin Wang1, Leying Zhang1
1School of Life Sciences and Food Engineering, Hebei University of Engineering, Handan 056038, China.
None:
The thymus is necessary for the development of T lymphocytes and central tolerance, and adaptations in the maternal thymus are required during pregnancy. In the present paper, maternal thymic cellular anatomy, T-cell development in the thymus, and related progress are reviewed. In addition, the recent progress in maternal thymic adaptations during pregnancy is discussed, including adaptations in thymic cellular anatomy, T-cell development, and immune-related cytokines. Finally, the latest information about hormones that regulate thymic immunology during pregnancy is summarized. In summary, there are many factors, including a lot of hormones, which are involved in maternal thymic immunological adaptations during pregnancy, and may be used to prevent pregnancy-related thymic diseases and preterm birth.
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