The prevalence of regulatory T and dendritic cells is altered in peripheral blood of women with pre-eclampsia

Abstract Objectives Regulatory T cells (Tregs) and dendritic cell (DC) subsets play an essential role in the development of pregnancy immune tolerance. We aimed to investigate the proportion of CD4 + CD25 + FOXP3 + Tregs and DC subsets in peripheral blood of patients with pre-eclampsia compared to normal pregnant women. Study design Peripheral blood samples were collected from 25 women with pre-eclampsia and 30 women with normal, healthy pregnancies. The ratio of CD4 + CD25 + T cells in all CD4 + T cells, expression of FOXP3, and the ratio of myeloid DC (mDC) versus plasmacytoid DC (pDC) were assessed by flow cytometry. Levels of IL-10 and TGF-β in culture supernatants of purified CD4 + CD25 + T cells were analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results The mean ratio of CD4 + CD25 + T cells in CD4 + T lymphocytes in peripheral blood was lower in pre-eclampsia women than in normal pregnancies. The expression of Tregs marker FOXP3 in the pre-eclampsia group was significantly lower than the control group. The levels of IL-10 and TGF-β in supernatants of CD4 + CD25 + T cells were significantly decreased in the pre-eclampsia group compared with the control group. The ratio of mDC/pDC was significantly higher in the pre-eclampsia group when compared with the control group. Conclusions A decreased proportion and secretion of related inhibitory cytokines of CD4 + CD25 + FOXP3 + Tregs was found in the peripheral blood of pre-eclampsia, while the ratio of mDC/pDC increased. It is speculated that Tregs and DCs may play a role in the decreased immunosuppressive function of pre-eclampsia patients.