ORIGINAL ARTICLE: Imbalance of T-cell Transcription Factors Contributes to the Th1 Type Immunity Predominant in Pre-eclampsia

Problem Extensive studies have demonstrated that Th1 type immunity is predominant in pre-eclampsia, but there is little concern with regard to the intracellular mechanisms behind this initial T-cell polarization. In this study, we investigated whether the imbalance of the T-cell transcription factors contributes to it. Method of study A total of 15 pre-eclamptic patients and 15 healthy pregnant women were enrolled in this study. The expression levels of transcription factors for Th1 (T-bet), Th2 (GATA3), Th17 (RORc) and Treg (FOXP3) cells, together with the Th1/Th2 status, were simultaneously investigated in both peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and decidua. Results The expression levels of FOXP3 mRNA were decreased in both PBMCs and decidua from pre-eclamptic patients compared with healthy pregnant women (P