Peripheral blood TIM-3 positive NK and CD8+ T cells throughout pregnancy: TIM-3/galectin-9 interaction and its possible role during pregnancy

Our results indicate that Galectin-9 expressing regulatory T cells, TIM-3+ cytotoxic T cells and NK cells could play an important role in the maintenance of healthy pregnancy.

Our results show that the numbers of peripheral NK and cytotoxic T cells and their TIM-3 expression do not change between the first, second and third trimesters of pregnancy. Compared to non-pregnant individuals, regulatory T cells show higher level of Galectin-9 expression as pregnancy proceeds, which is in line with the level of Galectin-9 in the patients sera. Cytotoxic T cells, NK cells and NK cell subsets expressing TIM-3 molecule show altered cytokine production and cytotoxicity during pregnancy compared to non-pregnant individuals.