Pregnancy is a particularly interesting time immunologically. After all, half of the embryo that settles in the womb consists of foreign material from the partner. Why are bacteria, viruses and tumor cells attacked and cleaned up and the embryonic cells not?
Adjust defense
“The body has developed an ingenious and complex system of immunological adaptations in the uterus, so that the embryo can develop in a non-hostile environment,” says medical immunologist Renate van der Molen. “Especially in the placenta, which forms the connection between mother and child, all kinds of adjustments in the immune system take place. Although knowledge about this has increased considerably in recent years, there are still many questions we need to answer. ”
Dempend effect
One such question is the role that B cells play in pregnancy. “B cells are known for their ability to produce antibodies,” says Laboratory Medicine researcher Marilen Benner, who and colleagues have meticulously studied the activity of cells in the womb. “Antibodies are usually associated with pregnancy problems. However, we saw that the B cells in the womb may have a different function at the beginning of pregnancy and, on the contrary, have a dampening effect on the immune system and thus seem to increase the tolerance for the ‘foreign material’. ”
Healthy pregnancy
They do this by producing a lot of interleukin-10 (IL-10). Benner: “It is known that IL-10 is a crucial cytokine for the construction of a healthy pregnancy and the prevention of premature birth. B cells in the womb do this much more strongly than B cells in the blood. The external characteristics of B cells that we find in the womb are also different from those of B cells that circulate in the bloodstream ”.
Prevent complications
Every pregnancy is a challenge for the immune system. Cells from the embryo must grow into the uterine wall. This is an essential process to create the placenta, which will form the connection between mother and child. Van der Molen, who coordinated the research: “Insight into the functioning of the immune system of the uterus is necessary to understand exactly how pregnancy complications arise. Complications such as preeclampsia (or in severe cases HELLP syndrome) can be life-threatening to mother and child. With our research we try to better understand how these complications arise and we hope to reduce or prevent them in the long term. ”
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