Altered immune cell profiles in maternal and umbilical cord blood and fetal growth restriction: A flow cytometric analysis
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Updated: Jul 28, 2026
Isolation of Leukocytes from the Human Maternal-fetal Interface
Published on: May 21, 2015
1Department of Obstetrics, Northwest Women's and Children's Hospital, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, China.
Although fetal growth restriction (FGR) is linked to dysregulated immune responses, the immunological profiles of maternal and umbilical cord blood remain poorly understood. The purpose of this study was to compare immune cell subsets in maternal blood (MB) and umbilical cord blood (UCB) between pregnancies that are normal and those that are complicated by FGR. Flow cytometry was used to analyze MB and UCB samples from 33 pregnant women (8 in the FGR group and 25 in the normal control group). In contrast to UCB, which was enriched in naïve T cells, MB from normal pregnancies contained greater proportions of CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cells as well as memory T cells. MB from pregnancies complicated by FGC contained high levels of CD4⁺ central memory T (TCM) and CD8⁺ effector memory T cells (TEMRA) cells, indicating long-term immunological activation. UCB from pregnancies complicated by FGR was characterized by CD4⁺ TCM, CD8⁺ TCM, nonclassical monocytes, and basophils, suggesting fetal immunological activation. In summary, these results imply that FGR is characterized by abnormal fetal immune responses and prolonged maternal immunological activation, which may lead to placental malfunction and stunted fetal growth.
Although fetal growth restriction (FGR) is linked to dysregulated immune responses, the immunological profiles of maternal and umbilical cord blood remain poorly understood. The purpose of this study was to compare immune cell subsets in maternal blood (MB) and umbilical cord blood (UCB) between pregnancies that are normal and those that are complicated by FGR. Flow cytometry was used to analyze MB and UCB samples from 33 pregnant women (8 in the FGR group and 25 in the normal control group). In contrast to UCB, which was enriched in naïve T cells, MB from normal pregnancies contained greater proportions of CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cells as well as memory T cells. MB from pregnancies complicated by FGC contained high levels of CD4⁺ central memory T (TCM) and CD8⁺ effector memory T cells (TEMRA) cells, indicating long-term immunological activation. UCB from pregnancies complicated by FGR was characterized by CD4⁺ TCM, CD8⁺ TCM, nonclassical monocytes, and basophils, suggesting fetal immunological activation. In summary, these results imply that FGR is characterized by abnormal fetal immune responses and prolonged maternal immunological activation, which may lead to placental malfunction and stunted fetal growth.
