Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Pregnancy is an immune paradox. While the immune system is required for embryo implantation, placental development and progression of gestation, excessive inflammation is associated with pregnancy failure. Similarly, the cytokine IL-17A plays an important role in defence against extracellular pathogens, but its dysregulation can lead to pathogenic inflammation and tissue damage. Although expression of IL-17 has been reported during pregnancy, the cellular source of this cytokine and its relevance to gestation are not clear. OBJECTIVES: Here we define the kinetics and cellular source of IL-17A in the uterus during healthy and abortion-prone murine pregnancy. METHODS: The CBA/J x DBA/2J abortion-prone mating was used and compared to CBA/J x BALB/c control mating. RESULTS: We demonstrate that, irrespective of gestational health, the number of IL-17-producing cells peaks during midterm pregnancy and is largely derived from the γδ T-cell lineage. We identify γδ T, Th17, CD8 T and NKT cells as the cellular source of IL-17A in pregnant mice. Furthermore, we positively identify the Vγ6(+) subset of uterine γδ T cells as the main producer of IL-17A during both healthy pregnancy and abortive pregnancy. CONCLUSIONS: To conclude, the accumulation of uterine IL-17(+) innate-like T cells appears not to adversely impact the developing foetus. Collectively, our results show that IL-17(+) γδ T cells are present in the uterus throughout the course of normal gestation and therefore may play an important role in healthy pregnancy.