Derek Miller, Roberto Romero, Luke Myers, Yi Xu, Marcia Arenas-Hernandez, Jose Galaz, Cinque Soto, Bogdan Done, Angelica Quiroz, Awoniyi O Awonuga, David R Bryant, Adi L Tarca, Nardhy Gomez-Lopez
T cells are implicated in the pathophysiology of preterm labor and birth, the leading cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality worldwide. Specifically, maternal decidual T cells infiltrate the chorioamniotic membranes in chronic chorioamnionitis (CCA), a placental lesion considered to reflect maternal anti-fetal rejection, leading to preterm labor and birth. However, the phenotype and TCR repertoire of decidual T cells in women with preterm labor and CCA have not been investigated. In this study, we used phenotyping, TCR sequencing, and functional assays to elucidate the molecular characteristics and Ag specificity of T cells infiltrating the chorioamniotic membranes in women with CCA who underwent term or preterm labor...
August 30, 2023: Journal of Immunology