Paulesu L, Romagnoli R, Cintorino M, Ricci M G, Garotta G
Institute of General Physiology, University of Siena, Italy.
J Reprod Immunol. 1994 Aug;27(1):37-48. doi: 10.1016/0165-0378(94)90013-2.
Interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) is a lymphokine, produced by activated T lymphocytes, which plays a key regulatory role in the host immunological responses. In addition, IFN-gamma is expressed by human and porcine trophoblast. As IFN-gamma exerts its biological functions through specific cell surface receptors and a great number of IFN-gamma receptors (IFN-gamma R) have been purified from human placenta, we have examined the relative distribution of IFN-gamma and IFN-gamma R in human placental tissues at different stages of pregnancy. By using immunohistochemical analysis and monoclonal antibodies, it was found that IFN-gamma expression is intense in the first trimester but almost imperceptible at term, whereas the expression of IFN-gamma R is present at both stages of pregnancy. For both lymphokine and receptor, the most intense expression was observed in villous syncytiotrophoblast and in extravillous interstitial trophoblast. From these results it appears that the expression of IFN-gamma R in trophoblast is related to the presence of the lymphokine in the early phase of gestation but not later. On this basis, it can be argued that IFN-gamma exerts its functional role via an autocrine and/or a paracrine loop mainly during the first trimester.
γ干扰素（IFN-γ）是一种由活化的T淋巴细胞产生的淋巴因子，在宿主免疫反应中起关键调节作用。此外，人及猪的滋养层细胞也可表达IFN-γ。由于IFN-γ通过特定的细胞表面受体发挥其生物学功能，且已从人胎盘中纯化出大量的IFN-γ受体（IFN-γR），我们研究了妊娠不同阶段人胎盘组织中IFN-γ和IFN-γR的相对分布。通过免疫组织化学分析和单克隆抗体发现，IFN-γ在孕早期表达强烈，但足月时几乎难以察觉，而IFN-γR在妊娠的两个阶段均有表达。对于淋巴因子和受体，在绒毛合体滋养层细胞和绒毛外间质滋养层细胞中观察到最强的表达。从这些结果看来，滋养层细胞中IFN-γR的表达与妊娠早期淋巴因子的存在有关，而在后期则无关。在此基础上，可以认为IFN-γ主要在孕早期通过自分泌和/或旁分泌途径发挥其功能作用。
