Phagocyte activity in the peripheral blood of pregnant women with systemic lupus erythematosus and in the cord blood of their newborns.

AIM: To detect faults in phagocytosis in peripheral blood cells of pregnant women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and in cord blood of their newborns. METHODS: Pregnant women fulfilled ≥ 4 American College of Rheumatology criteria for SLE and their newborns were recruited. Pregnant women without SLE and their newborns constituted controls. Phagocytosis and respiratory burst were measured using PHAGOTEST and BURSTTEST kits (Biotechnology GmbH, Germany) on FACSCalibur™ flow cytometer. Expression of CD11b was estimated with antibodies (BD Biosciences, San Jose, CA, USA). Mann-Whitney rank-sum test was used to compare SLE group and controls. RESULTS: Phagocytosis and respiratory burst were estimated in blood of 31 SLE women (29.5 ± 3.3 years) and in cord blood of 26 newborns. Controls were 21 health women (29.8 ± 2.8 years) and their 21 babies. Median reactive oxygen species (ROS) production was reduced in the SLE group versus controls (arbitrary units): women, 2315 versus 3316 (P = 0.034); babies, 1051 versus 1791 (P = 0.041), respectively. Proportion of ROS-producing granulocytes decreased in the SLE group: women, 72.5% versus 94.0% (P = 0.025); babies, 46.8% versus 90.7% (P = 0.008). Proportion of phagocytes which engulfed Escherichia coli and bacteria number per phagocyte also decreased in SLE women. Monocyte activity was suppressed in newborns from the SLE group (RLU): 224 versus 507 (P = 0.022). CD11b expression was reduced in SLE women (RLU): granulocytes, 588 versus 1448.5 (P < 0.001); monocytes, 1017 versus 1619 (P = 0.002). CONCLUSION: Pregnant SLE women have low ingesting capacity of phagocytes. Suppression of phagocytosis in their newborns is mainly due to reduced number of cells producing ROS.

Clinical and pathogenetic features of early- and late-onset pre-eclampsia.

BACKGROUND: PE is present in ∼2-8% of all pregnant women worldwide. Placental bed disorders at early and late PE have been not carried out yet. However, these studies help to explore details of the pathogenesis of PE, and to optimize the prognosis and obstetric management. OBJECTIVE: To identify clinical and morphological differences between early- and late-onset PE based on a comprehensive observation of pregnant women with regard to morphological and immunohistochemical characteristics of the placental bed. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred fifty patients aged 18-43 years old delivered by cesarean section due to severe PE. The samples of placental bed tissue were studied by morphological and immunohistochemical methods. RESULTS: The violation of invasion trophoblast, remodeling of spiral arteries were expressed in early onset PE; the degree of compensation of chronic hypoxia tissue in the area of the placental site was typical for late PE and was absent of an early onset PE. CONCLUSION: Our studies confirm the need for separation of early- and late-onset PE, being justified in terms of different pathogenetic mechanisms of formation, and therefore the possibility of therapeutic effects, duration of pregnancy prolongation, forecasting, search early diagnostic markers of the disease, and personalized approaches.