Abstract
The placenta plays an important role in protecting the fetus from maternal infections and in preventing an effective immune response of the mother against the fetus. We compared lymphokine production by human placental leukocytes with that of adult and cord blood leukocytes. Decidual and adult blood lymphocytes synthesized comparable quantities of interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) following incubation with phytohemagglutinin (PHA). In contrast, lymphocytes of cord blood and fetal placental tissue stimulated with PHA produced very low titers of IFN-gamma. This defect was less marked after stimulation with staphylococcus enterotoxin B (SEB). In the presence of SEB, cord blood cells produced interleukin-2 (IL-2) and significant amounts of IFN-gamma. Production of IL-4 could not be detected. Collectively, these results indicate that fetal T lymphocytes show certain defects of lymphokine production.
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