Macrophages of human first trimester decidua express markers associated to alternative activation.

Problem: Depending on the type of their activation, macrophages may promote TH1- or TH2-type of immune responses. To date, not much is known about the activation phenotype of decidua macrophages, which - together with NK cells - constitute the majority of bone marrow derived cells at this location.

Method Of Study: The study was based on analysis of healthy first trimester decidua by immunohistochemistry and flow cytometry.

B7 family molecules are favorably positioned at the human maternal-fetal interface.

The human placenta utilizes both active and passive mechanisms to evade rejection by the maternal immune system. We investigated the pattern of expression of the B7 family of immunomodulatory molecules B7-H1 (PD-L1), B7-2 (CD86), and B7-1 (CD80) at the term maternal-fetal interface. Northern blot and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analyses showed that B7-H1 mRNA is abundant in term placenta and that cytotrophoblasts are sources of this message.

Absence of HLA-G expression in macrophages of human decidua.

Problem: Macrophages - together with natural killer (NK) cells - constitute the majority of bone marrow derived infiltrating cells in the decidua. As interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), a cytokine produced by NK cells, has been reported to induce expression of human leukocyte antigen (HLA-G) in monocytic cells, suggesting expression of HLA-G on decidua macrophages potentially stimulated by IFN-gamma, the question arises whether decidua macrophages in normal pregnancy express HLA-G.

Method Of Study: The study was based on immunohistochemistry and flow cytometry.

Decidual macrophages are potentially susceptible to inhibition by class Ia and class Ib HLA molecules.

Several members of the immunoglobulin-like transcript (ILT), also called leukocyte immunoglobulin-like receptor (LIR), family of transmembrane proteins have been identified as receptors for class I HLA molecules and transduce inhibitory signals to leukocytes upon binding of these ligands. The ligands for ILT2 (LIR1/CD85j) and ILT4 (LIR2/CD85d) include HLA-A, -B, and -G, the last of which is highly expressed in fetal trophoblast cells in both membrane-bound and soluble isoforms. To investigate the potential of fetally-derived HLA class I molecules to interact with maternal macrophages through these receptors, we examined the expression patterns of ILT2 and ILT4 in decidual macrophages.