Cells of the fetomaternal interface: their role in the maintenance of viviparous pregnancy.

An immune system capable of discriminating between self and nonself evolved in nature long before the appearance of the viviparous mode of pregnancy, which brings maternal cells into a direct physical contact with genetically disparate cells of fetal origin. In the hemochorial type of placentation, the former include cells of the maternal immune system. This article briefly reviews the possible mechanisms that may protect the semiallogeneic conceptus in nature, with special reference to the role of the cells at the fetomaternal interface. We also present some new data on the antigenicity of pre- and postimplantation trophoblast cells and the immunobiology of decidual cells. Systemic changes in the maternal immune system appear to represent homeostatic responses to the presence of a semiallogeneic conceptus, unrelated to its protection; mechanisms for this protection must reside locally at the fetomaternal interface. We find that the lack of immunogenicity of the outer (trophoblast) cells of the preimplantation blastocyst can be explained by a transient disappearance of the major histocompatibility (MHC) antigens on their cell surface. However, following implantation and the formation of the placenta, class 1 MHC antigens reappear on certain classes of trophoblast cells, i.e., labyrinthine and spongiotrophoblast cells of the murine placenta. Similarly, cytotrophoblast cells of the early human placenta exhibit the presence of class 1 MHC antigens. An absence of class 2 MHC antigens despite the presence of class 1 antigens cannot entirely explain the lack of trophoblast immunogenicity. A local immunosuppression mediated by trophoblast cells themselves as well as maternal cells of hemopoietic origin in the decidua remain as a strong possibility. Typical decidual cells appear to play a central role in the maintenance of pregnancy because of their numerous functions: nutritive, endocrine, and immunoregulatory. Our studies reveal that they are descendants of bone-marrow-derived precursors, have unique surface markers recognizable with monoclonal antibodies nonreactive with other hemopoietic cell lineages, and have the ability to abrogate mixed lymphocyte reactions in vitro in a genetically unrestricted manner. Further studies directed at the cells of the fetomaternal interface should provide a better insight into the mode of survival of the nature's most commonplace allograft.