Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The effect of pregnancy on paternal skin allograft survival

  • Article
  • Published:
Science in China Series C: Life Sciences Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Elucidation of maternal-fetal tolerance mechanisms clarifies the role of regulatory T cells (Treg) in transplant tolerance. This study aim to investigate the effect of pregnancy on paternal skin allograft survival. Flow cytometry techniques, mixed lymphocytes reaction (MLR), PCR, real-time PCR and skin transplantation were key methods. Treg increased significantly from 4.2% before pregnancy to peak at 6.8% day 8 after pregnancy. Both heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) mRNA express high in placenta while low in spleen (P<0.05). Although Treg increased during pregnancy, and splenocytes from the pregnant mice showed lower MLR response toward the paternal stimulator, single time pregnancy showed no significant protective effect on paternal skin allograft survival in the tested condition.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Shou Z, Xiao H, Xu Y, et al. SHARP-2 gene silence by lentiviral-based short hairpin RNA interference prolonged rat kidney transplant recipients survival time. J Int Med Res, 2009, 37: 766–778, 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD1MXhtFSqtrfF, 19589260

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Billingham R E, Brent L, Medawar P B. Actively acquired tolerance of foreign cells. Nature, 1953, 172: 603–606, 10.1038/172603a0, 1:STN:280:DyaG2c%2FitVSqsg%3D%3D, 13099277

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Guleria I, Sayegh M H. Maternal acceptance of the fetus: True human tolerance. J Immunol, 2007, 178: 3345–3351, 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD2sXisVCqu70%3D, 17339426

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Platt J L. New concepts in alloimmune recognition. Cell Immunol. 2007, 248: 1–3, 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD2sXhtlWqur3L, 17959159

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Riley J K. Trophoblast immune receptors in maternal-fetal tolerance. Immunol Invest, 2008, 37: 395–426, 10.1080/08820130802206066, 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD1cXhtVWktLbE, 18716931

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Markert U R, Fitzgerald J S, Seyfarth L, et al. Lessons from reproductive immunology for other fields of immunology and clinical approaches. Chem Immunol Allergy, 2005, 89: 169–179, 10.1159/000087965, 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD2MXht1eiu7bI, 16129963

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Aluvihare V, A Kallikourdis M, Betz A. Regulatory T cells mediate maternal tolerance to the fetus. Nat Immunol, 2004, 3: 266–271, 10.1038/ni1037

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Somerset D A, Zheng Y, Kilby M D, et al. Normal human pregnancy is associated with an elevation in the immune suppressive CD25+CD4+ regulatory T-cell subset. Immunology, 2004, 112: 38–43, 10.1111/j.1365-2567.2004.01869.x, 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD2cXktFKnsr4%3D, 15096182

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Thuere C, Zenclussen M L, Schumacher A, et al. Kinetics of regulatory T cells during murine pregnancy. Am J Reprod Immunol, 2007, 58: 514–523, 10.1111/j.1600-0897.2007.00538.x, 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD1cXkvVKmug%3D%3D, 17997750

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Schumacher A, Wafula P O, Bertoja A Z, et al. Mechanisms of action of regulatory T cells specific for paternal antigens during pregnancy. Obstet Gynecol, 2007, 110: 1137–1145, 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD2sXhtlelsrbK, 17978130

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Zenclussen A C. Regulatory T cells in pregnancy. Springer Semin Immunopathol, 2006, 28: 31–39, 10.1007/s00281-006-0023-6, 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD28XotlChurY%3D, 16838178

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Zenclussen A C, Gerlof K, Zenclussen M L, et al. Regulatory T cells induce a privileged tolerant microenvironment at the fetal-maternal interface. Eur J Immunol, 2006, 36: 82–94, 10.1002/eji.200535428, 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD28XntVSgug%3D%3D, 16358362

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Zenclussen A C, Gerlof K, Zenclussen M L, et al. Abnormal T-cell reactivity against paternal antigens in spontaneous abortion: adoptive transfer of pregnancy induced CD4+CD25+ T regulatory cells prevents fetal rejection in a murine abortion model. Am J Pathol, 2005, 166: 811–822, 15743793

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Waldmann H, Chen T C, Graca L, et al. Regulatory T cells in transplantation. Semin Immunol, 2006, 18: 111–119, 10.1016/j.smim.2006.01.010, 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD28Xhslymu70%3D, 16476553

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Bishara A, Kedar E, Leshem B, et al. A short human and mouse MLR assay utilizing lymphokine (IL-2, IL-3) secretion as an early activation event. Transplantation, 1991, 51: 1104–1109, 10.1097/00007890-199105000-00033, 1:STN:280:DyaK3M3jtlGjtA%3D%3D, 1827689

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Livak K J, Schmittgen T D. Analysis of relative gene expression data using real-time quantitative PCR and the 2(-Delta Delta C(T)) method. Methods, 2001, 25: 402–408, 10.1006/meth.2001.1262, 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD38XhtFelt7s%3D, 11846609

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Endo S, Sakamoto Y, Kobayashi E, et al. Regulation of cytotoxic T lymphocyte triggering by PIR-B on dendritic cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 2008, 105: 14515–14520, 10.1073/pnas.0804571105, 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD1cXht1SgtrfF, 18787130

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Robertson S A, Guerin L R, Bromfield J J. Male seminal constituents activate expansion of the T regulatory cell pool in early pregnancy. J Reprod Immunol, 2006, 71: 150 (Abstract), 10.1016/j.jri.2006.08.026

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Smith R N, Powell A E. The adoptive transfer of pregnancy-induced unresponsiveness to male skin grafts with thymus-dependent cells. J Exp Med, 1977, 146: 899–904, 10.1084/jem.146.3.899, 1:STN:280:DyaE2s3ltFejuw%3D%3D, 330791

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Monk N J, Hargreaves R E, Simpson E, et al. Transplant tolerance: models, concepts and facts. J Mol Med, 2006, 84: 295–30, 10.1007/s00109-005-0006-4, 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD28XjtVSmsLw%3D, 16501935

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Kidney Disease Center, First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310003, China

    ZhangFei Shou, Yi Yang & JiangHua Chen

  2. Key Laboratory of Multi-organ Combined Transplantation, Ministry of Health, Hangzhou, 310003, China

    ZhangFei Shou, YiFang Xu, HuaYing Xiao, Qin Zhou, JieRu Cai, Hong Jiang & JiangHua Chen

  3. Key Laboratory of Xinjiang Endemic and Ethnic Diseases, Ministry of Education, School of Medicine, Shihezi University, Shihezi, 832003, China

    ZhangFei Shou & WenJie Zhang

Authors
  1. ZhangFei Shou
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. YiFang Xu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. HuaYing Xiao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Qin Zhou
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. JieRu Cai
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Yi Yang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Hong Jiang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. WenJie Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. JiangHua Chen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to ZhangFei Shou.

Additional information

Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 30471641 and 30872389) and the Natural Science Foundation of Zhejiang Province (Grant No. Y207088)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Shou, Z., Xu, Y., Xiao, H. et al. The effect of pregnancy on paternal skin allograft survival. SCI CHINA SER C 52, 1011–1015 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11427-009-0142-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11427-009-0142-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation