Electrophoretic mobilities and levels of T and B lymphocytes in human pregnancy.

Automatic cell electrophoresis has been used to investigate electrokinetic properties and the levels of T and B lymphocytes in peripheral blood of 124 pregnant women at different stages of gestation, and in 44 healthy controls. The electrophoretic mobilities (EPM) of T and B lymphocytes in maternal peripheral blood vary only slightly throughout pregnancy. In the pregnant subjects, there is a small but significant reduction in the percentage of circulating T lymphocytes. It is concluded that an increased electrostatic repulsion between maternal lymphocytes and trophoblast cells by alterations in the surface charge of lymphocytes plays an unimportant role in protecting the allogenic fetus from maternal immune attack.