A van Egmond1, C van der Keur2, E van Beelen2, S A Scherjon3, F H J Claas4. 1. Department of Immunohematology and Blood Transfusion, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands; Department of Obstetrics, Leiden University Medical Center, The Netherlands. 2. Department of Immunohematology and Blood Transfusion, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands. 3. Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University Medical Center Groningen, The Netherlands. 4. Department of Immunohematology and Blood Transfusion, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands. Electronic address: fhjclaas@lumc.nl.
Abstract
PROBLEM: The short term effect of the caesarean delivery on the phenotypic and functional characteristics of the peripheral blood leukocytes of the mother is unknown. METHOD OF STUDY: We determined the composition and activation status of the maternal peripheral blood leukocytes isolated within 4h before and within 24h after elective caesarean delivery with neuraxial anaesthesia. Furthermore, we determined the proliferative and cytotoxic response of these leukocytes to several stimulators. RESULTS: No significant differences in the percentage of CD4+CD25bright and CD8+CD28- T cells or the expression of activation markers FoxP3, CD69 and HLA-DR were observed in peripheral blood drawn before caesarean delivery compared to after caesarean delivery. Also the alloreactive immune responses in samples taken before and after the caesarean delivery were similar. CONCLUSION: Our results show that the phenotype and immune response of maternal peripheral blood T cells obtained before elective caesarean delivery are not different from those obtained after caesarean delivery. This knowledge will facilitate sample collection for future studies on the immune response in term pregnancies.
PROBLEM: The short term effect of the caesarean delivery on the phenotypic and functional characteristics of the peripheral blood leukocytes of the mother is unknown. METHOD OF STUDY: We determined the composition and activation status of the maternal peripheral blood leukocytes isolated within 4h before and within 24h after elective caesarean delivery with neuraxial anaesthesia. Furthermore, we determined the proliferative and cytotoxic response of these leukocytes to several stimulators. RESULTS: No significant differences in the percentage of CD4+CD25bright and CD8+CD28- T cells or the expression of activation markers FoxP3, CD69 and HLA-DR were observed in peripheral blood drawn before caesarean delivery compared to after caesarean delivery. Also the alloreactive immune responses in samples taken before and after the caesarean delivery were similar. CONCLUSION: Our results show that the phenotype and immune response of maternal peripheral blood T cells obtained before elective caesarean delivery are not different from those obtained after caesarean delivery. This knowledge will facilitate sample collection for future studies on the immune response in term pregnancies.