Specific innate immune cells uptake fetal antigen and display homeostatic phenotypes in the maternal circulation.

ABSTRACT: Pregnancy represents a period when the mother undergoes significant immunological changes to promote tolerance of the fetal semi-allograft. Such tolerance results from the exposure of the maternal immune system to fetal antigens (Ags), a process that has been widely investigated at the maternal-fetal interface and in the adjacent draining lymph nodes. However, the peripheral mechanisms of maternal-fetal crosstalk are poorly understood. Herein, we hypothesized that specific innate immune cells interact with fetal Ags in the maternal circulation. To test this hypothesis, a mouse model was utilized in which transgenic male mice expressing the chicken ovalbumin (OVA) Ag under the beta-actin promoter were allogeneically mated with wild-type females to allow for tracking of the fetal Ag. Fetal A

SUBMITTER: Arenas-Hernandez M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8881318 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature