Differential distribution of CD4+ CD25bright and CD8+ CD28- T-cells in decidua and maternal blood during human pregnancy

During pregnancy several maternal and fetal mechanisms arc established to prevent a destructive immune response against the allogeneic fetus. Despite these mechanisms, fetus specific T-cells persist throughout gestation but little is known about the regulation of these T-cells. Recently, CD4(+)CD25(+) regulatory T-cells have been identified in human decidua. Human decidua forms the maternal part of the fetal-maternal interface and is subdivided in two distinct regions: the decidua (d.) basalis and the decidua (d.) parietalis. The aim of this study was to determine the distribution Of Specific T-cell Subsets in d. basalis and d. parietalis in early and term pregnancy, with a special emphasis oil the presence of CD4(+)CD25(bright) (regulatory) T-cells and CD8(+)CD28(-) (suppressor) T-cells. In addition, we compared phenotypic characteristics of decidua derived T-cell Subsets with maternal peripheral blood (mPBL) T-cells and T-cells from non-pregnant controls. We identified significantly higher percentages of CD4(+)CD25(bright) and CD8(+)CD28(-) T-cells in decidua compared to peripheral blood suggesting an important role for these T-cell Subsets locally at the fetal-maternal interface. The major differences in T-cell Subset distribution and the presence of additional phenotypic differences between T-cclis in d. basalis, d. parictalis and mPBL may reflect specific immunomodulatory functions of these T-cell subsets at these different sites during pregnancy.