HLA-G, pre-eclampsia, immunity and vascular events.
J Reprod Immunol
; 59(2): 219-34, 2003 Aug.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-12896824
ABSTRACT
Pre-eclampsia, one of the main complications in pregnancy, is characterised by shallow cytotrophoblast invasion of decidua as well as by vascular endothelial cell dysfunction, leading to a poor perfusion of placenta. A striking feature of pre-eclamptic pregnancies is that expression of HLA-G protein is reduced in term placentas compared with normal pregnancy. How such HLA-G deficient expression may be related to the pre-eclamptic pathology is unknown. Here, we review the major structural characteristics of HLA-G and some of its functions that have been recently characterised. Soluble HLA-G1 isoform down-regulates both CD8(+) and CD4(+) T cell reactivity. HLA-G also modulates innate immunity by binding to several NK and/or decidual receptors, inducing particular cytokine secretion. HLA-G was shown to be less susceptible to human cytomegalovirus-derived US protein down-modulation. Finally, soluble HLA-G1 down-regulates endothelial cell proliferation and migration. In view of these different HLA-G properties, we will briefly discuss how defective HLA-G function may contribute to the low trophoblast invasion and vascular abnormalities observed in pre-eclamptic placentas.
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Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Placenta
/
Pre-Eclampsia
/
Trophoblasts
/
Endothelium, Vascular
/
Histocompatibility Antigens Class I
/
HLA Antigens
Limits:
Animals
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Pregnancy
Language:
En
Year:
2003
Type:
Article