Human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) activates monocytes to produce interleukin-8 via a different pathway from luteinizing hormone/HCG receptor system.

To investigate immune-endocrine interactions between the embryo and the mother early in pregnancy, we examined the effects of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) on IL-8 production by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). Recombinant HCG promoted IL-8 secretion by PBMC derived from nonpregnant women. The induction of IL-8 mRNA expression was observed after 30 min of HCG stimulation. Adsorption of the HCG with anti-HCG antibodies confirmed the specificity of this effect. The translocation of nuclear factor kappaB into the nucleus and subsequent IL-8 production were observed mainly in monocytes, and IL-8 production was reduced when a proteasome inhibitor was added to inactivate nuclear factor kappaB. Although fluorescein isothiocyanate-labeled HCG was bound to the majority of monocytes, cell surface expression of HCG receptor was hardly detected. IL-8 production by HCG was not affected by inhibitors of protein kinases A and C. In contrast, this stimulation was attenuated by D-mannose, which inhibits binding to C-type lectins. The basal IL-8 production by PBMC from women early in pregnancy was significantly elevated, compared with that from nonpregnant women. This study showed that human monocytes respond to HCG and secrete IL-8 through a pathway different from the HCG receptor system, suggesting that this glycoprotein hormone can react with not only endocrine cells but also immune cells early in pregnancy, probably via primitive systems such as C-type lectins.

Peripheral blood mononuclear cells in early pregnancy promote invasion of human choriocarcinoma cell line, BeWo cells.

BACKGROUND: During the establishment of the maternal blood circulation around the implanting human embryo, maternal peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) directly contact trophoblasts. To determine the physiological significance of this interaction, the effects of PBMC obtained from pregnant women on the proliferative and invasive properties of a human choriocarcinoma cell line, BeWo cells, were examined. METHODS AND RESULTS: PBMC were obtained from women in early pregnancy and from women in the secretory phase of the menstrual cycle. PBMC from pregnant women significantly increased the number of invading BeWo cells in an invasion assay without affecting the proliferation of BeWo cells (P +/- 0.05). No significant changes were observed in the co-cultures with PBMC from non-pregnant women. The addition of conditioned medium, which was prepared by 2 days of incubation with PBMC from pregnant women, also enhanced BeWo cell invasion in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, when PBMC obtained from non-pregnant women were incubated with recombinant HCG (0-10 IU/ml) for 2 days, significant augmentation of the effect on BeWo cell invasion was observed in the conditioned medium from HCG-treated PBMC (P +/- 0.05). CONCLUSION: This study indicated that soluble factor(s) secreted from PBMC promote BeWo cell invasion. It also showed the possible involvement of HCG in the regulation of BeWo cell invasion by PBMC. These findings suggest crosstalk between maternal PBMC and trophoblasts via soluble factor(s), which may play an important role in early embryo implantation.

Cyclic AMP enhances the expression of an extravillous trophoblast marker, melanoma cell adhesion molecule, in choriocarcinoma cell JEG3 and human chorionic villous explant cultures.

Human trophoblasts consist of two main cell lineages, villous trophoblasts (VT) and extravillous trophoblasts (EVT). To identify the molecules which are involved in EVT differentiation, we have raised a monoclonal antibody (mAb) designated CHL1, by immunizing a mouse against human chorion laeve which is composed of EVT. By immunohistochemical analysis, the CHL1 antigen was found to be expressed on the majority of EVT but not on VT in addition to its expression on endothelial and myometrial cells. A subsequent cDNA panning method revealed that the CHL1 antigen was identical to melanoma cell adhesion molecule (MCAM, Mel-CAM, S-endo 1 or MUC18/CD146), which has been previously reported as one of the EVT markers. MCAM expression on JEG3 cells, a human choriocarcinoma-derived cell line, was significantly enhanced when they were co-cultured with isolated human decidual tissue. Various cytokines and growth factors that were reportedly present in decidual tissue failed to increase MCAM expression in JEG3 cells, but decidua-induced MCAM expression in JEG3 cells was attenuated by the addition of protein kinase A inhibitor H89. In addition, cAMP, which is known to stimulate differentiation of VT, enhanced MCAM expression in JEG3 cells. Its promoting effect on MCAM expression was also observed in human chorionic villous explant cultures. These findings suggest that a cAMP-dependent intracytoplasmic signalling pathway is involved in the differentiation mechanism of human EVT.