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Research advances in the function of T cells at the maternal-fetal interface

HUANG Xi-Xi¹, LIU Lu^1,2, WANG Li^1,2,3, DU Mei-Rong^1,4,2,*

¹Institute of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Fudan University, Shanghai 200011, China；²Key Laboratory of Female Reproductive Endocrine Related Diseases, Shanghai 200011, China；³Department of Integrated Traditional and Western Medicine, Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Fudan University, Shanghai 200011, China；⁴Key Laboratory of Reproduction Regulation of the National Population and Family Planning Commission (NPFPC), Shanghai 200032, China

Abstract

Immune tolerance at maternal-fetal interface is the basis for establishment and maintenance of successful pregnancy. T cells are pivotal compositions of uterine decidual immune cells, which are required to mediate anti-infection immunity and protect embryos from external antigens attack. T cells also participate in the complex immune regulation process of maternal acceptance of semi-allogeneic embryos, and play an important role in regulating embryo implantation and maintaining pregnancy. Its dysfunction may lead to early pregnancy failures or mid-late pregnancy complications. This review summarizes the compositions, phenotypic characteristics and functions of decidual T cells at the maternal-fetal interface in recent years, and further describes the regulation of decidual CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in maternal-fetal immune tolerance as well as the molecular mechanisms of abnormal regulation leading to early pregnancy failures. Through the in-depth understanding the mechanism of maternal-fetal immune regulation, it supplies a novel concept on maternal-fetal immune tolerance and new clues for the immunotherapy of pregnancy-related diseases.

Key words: T cells; maternal-fetal interface; maternal-fetal tolerance; pregnancy complications

Received: 2019-07-04　　Accepted: 2019-09-25

Corresponding author: 杜美蓉　　E-mail: mrdu@fudan.edu.cn

DOI: 10.13294/j.aps.2019.0080

Citing This Article：

HUANG Xi-Xi, LIU Lu, WANG Li, DU Mei-Rong. Research advances in the function of T cells at the maternal-fetal interface. Acta Physiol Sin 2020; 72 (1): 11-19 (in Chinese with English abstract).