Baby's First Macrophage: Temporal Regulation of Hofbauer Cell Phenotype Influences Ligand-Mediated Innate Immune Responses across Gestation.

ABSTRACT: The importance of fetal placental macrophages (Hofbauer cell [HCs]) is underscored by their appearance 18 d postconception and maintenance through term; however, how human HCs evolve during healthy pregnancy and how microenvironment and ontogeny impact phenotype and function remain unknown. In this study, we comprehensively classify human HCs ex vivo, interrogate phenotypic plasticity, and characterize antiviral immune responses through gestation. Activated HCs were abundant in early pregnancy and decreased by term; molecular signatures emphasize inflammatory phenotypes early in gestation. Frequency of HCs with regulatory phenotypes remained high through term. Furthermore, term HCs exhibited blunted responses to stimulation, indicating reduced plasticity. IFN-λ1 is a key placental IFN that

SUBMITTER: Swieboda D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7870092 | biostudies-literature | 2020 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature