Human Placental Hofbauer Cells Maintain an Anti-inflammatory M2 Phenotype despite the Presence of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Hofbauer cells (HBCs) are macrophages of the feto-placental unit. Despite the general view that these cells have an anti-inflammatory M2 phenotype, recent studies have claimed that pregnancy pathologies-e.g., gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM)-cause a switch from an M2 to an M1 pro-inflammatory phenotype in HBCs. The pilot-study presented here challenges this claim, showing that HBCs maintain anti-inflammatory properties in spite of the hyperglycemic, low-grade inflammatory environment of GDM.

Methods

HBCs were isolated from placentae of healthy women (N = 5) and women with GDM (N = 6) diagnosed in the second trimester. FACS was used to measure surface markers associated with either M1 or M2 phenotype on the cells. In addition, placental tissue sect

SUBMITTER: Schliefsteiner C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5534476 | biostudies-literature | 2017

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature