Cellular immunity inpregnancy: subpopulations ofTlymphocytes bearing Fcreceptors forIgGandIgMinpregnant women

SUMMARY Studies onthechange ofperipheral TandBlymphocytes andTcells bearing Fcreceptors forIgGandIgMinpregnant womenwereperformed byusing rosette-formation tests. There wasnosignificant difference intheproportion ofTandBlymphocytes between pregnant andnon-pregnant women.Thepercentage ofTcells bearing Fcreceptors for IgGintheTlymphocytes which areconsidered tohavesuppressive activity increased in thevarious stages ofpregnancy andpost-partum ascompared withthat innon-pregnant women.Onthecontrary, thepercentage ofTcells bearing Fcreceptors forIgMintheT lymphocytes whichhaveahelper function decreased inpregnant andpost-partum women.Theresults ofthis investigation suggest that thedepression ofcell-mediated immunity during pregnancy depends onthequalitative change ofTlymphocytes, i.e. increased suppressor anddecreased helper Tlymphocyte subpopulations.