Increased Th17 and reduced Treg cells in patients with unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortion

Abstract

Immune imbalance of T cells in the maternal-fetal interface is reported to be associated with unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortion (URSA), such as Th17/Tregs/Th1/Th2 cell. The authors’ previous finding demonstrated that the percentage of Th1 cells was higher in the decidual tissues of patients with URSA. However, whether Th17 and Treg cells are altered in URSA remains unknown. In this study, the authors measured the percentage of Th17 and Treg cells by flow cytometry in 30 URSA patients and 30 normal pregnant women. They found that there were a higher proportion of Th17 and a lower number of Treg cells in the decidual tissue of URSA compared to those in normal controls. In conclusion, the results indicate that the changes in the proportion of Th17 and Treg cells in the maternal-fetal interface may be related to the occurrence of URSA.