Innate Immune Cells and Toll-like Receptor–Dependent Responses at the Maternal–Fetal Interface

Abstract

During pregnancy, the placenta, the mother and the fetus exploit several mechanisms in order to avoid fetal rejection and to maintain an immunotolerant environment throughout nine months. During this time, immune cells from the fetal and maternal compartments interact to provide an adequate defense in case of an infection and to promote a tolerogenic milieu for the fetus to develop peacefully. Trophoblasts and decidual cells, together with resident natural killer cells, dendritic cells, Hofbauer cells and other macrophages, among other cell types, contribute to the modulation of the uterine environment to sustain a successful pregnancy. In this review, the authors outlined some of the various roles that the innate immune system plays at the maternal–fetal interface. First, the cell populations that are recruited into gestational tissues and their immune mechanisms were examined. In the second part, the Toll–like receptor (TLR)–dependent immune responses at the maternal–fetal interface was summarized, in terms of their specific cytokine/chemokine/antimicrobial peptide expression profiles throughout pregnancy.