Expansion of CD4+CD25+and FOXP3+ regulatory T cells during the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle: implications for human reproduction.

Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are thought to affect the severity of various infectious and autoimmune diseases. The incidence of autoimmune disease is higher in fertile women than in men. Thus, we investigated whether Treg numbers were modulated during the menstrual cycle by sex hormones. In fertile no...

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Main Authors: Arruvito, L, Sanz, M, Banham, A, Fainboim, L
Format: Journal article
Language:English
Published: 2007
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author Arruvito, L
Sanz, M
Banham, A
Fainboim, L
author_facet Arruvito, L
Sanz, M
Banham, A
Fainboim, L
author_sort Arruvito, L
collection OXFORD
description Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are thought to affect the severity of various infectious and autoimmune diseases. The incidence of autoimmune disease is higher in fertile women than in men. Thus, we investigated whether Treg numbers were modulated during the menstrual cycle by sex hormones. In fertile nonpregnant women, we detected an expansion of CD4(+)CD25(+)FOXP3(+) Tregs in the late follicular phase of the menstrual cycle. This increase was tightly correlated with serum levels of estradiol and was followed by a dramatic decrease in Treg numbers at the luteal phase. Women who have had recurrent spontaneous abortions (RSA) showed similarly low numbers of Tregs at both the follicular and luteal phases, comparable to numbers we observed in postmenopausal women. In addition to decreased numbers, Tregs from women with RSA were also functionally deficient, as higher numbers were required to exert a similar magnitude of suppression to CD4(+)CD25(+)FOXP3(+) cells from fertile women. Consequently, reproductive failure might result from the inability of Tregs in women with RSA to expand during the preimplantatory phase combined with their lower functional capacity. Additionally, the modulation of Treg numbers we observed in fertile women suggests that the stage of the menstrual cycle should be taken into account when Treg numbers are investigated clinically.
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spelling oxford-uuid:4e2a1f7b-5ddf-486d-81bf-8d3facb615e62022-03-26T15:59:41ZExpansion of CD4+CD25+and FOXP3+ regulatory T cells during the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle: implications for human reproduction.Journal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:4e2a1f7b-5ddf-486d-81bf-8d3facb615e6EnglishSymplectic Elements at Oxford2007Arruvito, LSanz, MBanham, AFainboim, LRegulatory T cells (Tregs) are thought to affect the severity of various infectious and autoimmune diseases. The incidence of autoimmune disease is higher in fertile women than in men. Thus, we investigated whether Treg numbers were modulated during the menstrual cycle by sex hormones. In fertile nonpregnant women, we detected an expansion of CD4(+)CD25(+)FOXP3(+) Tregs in the late follicular phase of the menstrual cycle. This increase was tightly correlated with serum levels of estradiol and was followed by a dramatic decrease in Treg numbers at the luteal phase. Women who have had recurrent spontaneous abortions (RSA) showed similarly low numbers of Tregs at both the follicular and luteal phases, comparable to numbers we observed in postmenopausal women. In addition to decreased numbers, Tregs from women with RSA were also functionally deficient, as higher numbers were required to exert a similar magnitude of suppression to CD4(+)CD25(+)FOXP3(+) cells from fertile women. Consequently, reproductive failure might result from the inability of Tregs in women with RSA to expand during the preimplantatory phase combined with their lower functional capacity. Additionally, the modulation of Treg numbers we observed in fertile women suggests that the stage of the menstrual cycle should be taken into account when Treg numbers are investigated clinically.
spellingShingle Arruvito, L
Sanz, M
Banham, A
Fainboim, L
Expansion of CD4+CD25+and FOXP3+ regulatory T cells during the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle: implications for human reproduction.
title Expansion of CD4+CD25+and FOXP3+ regulatory T cells during the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle: implications for human reproduction.
title_full Expansion of CD4+CD25+and FOXP3+ regulatory T cells during the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle: implications for human reproduction.
title_fullStr Expansion of CD4+CD25+and FOXP3+ regulatory T cells during the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle: implications for human reproduction.
title_full_unstemmed Expansion of CD4+CD25+and FOXP3+ regulatory T cells during the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle: implications for human reproduction.
title_short Expansion of CD4+CD25+and FOXP3+ regulatory T cells during the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle: implications for human reproduction.
title_sort expansion of cd4 cd25 and foxp3 regulatory t cells during the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle implications for human reproduction
work_keys_str_mv AT arruvitol expansionofcd4cd25andfoxp3regulatorytcellsduringthefollicularphaseofthemenstrualcycleimplicationsforhumanreproduction
AT sanzm expansionofcd4cd25andfoxp3regulatorytcellsduringthefollicularphaseofthemenstrualcycleimplicationsforhumanreproduction
AT banhama expansionofcd4cd25andfoxp3regulatorytcellsduringthefollicularphaseofthemenstrualcycleimplicationsforhumanreproduction
AT fainboiml expansionofcd4cd25andfoxp3regulatorytcellsduringthefollicularphaseofthemenstrualcycleimplicationsforhumanreproduction