Mononuclear phagocytes in the human placenta

doi:10.1016/S0143-4004(80)80019-1

Placenta

Volume 1, Issue 2, April–June 1980, Pages 113-123

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0143-4004(80)80019-1 Get rights and content

Summary

Hofbauer cells have been identified by morphological criteria in human placentae and are considered to be mononuclear phagocytes. An increasing recognition of the morphological heterogeneity of mononuclear phagocytes and of the considerable difficulty in their recognition in histological sections has suggested that they may be considerably more numerous in the placenta than has been appreciated. The use of specific markers for mononuclear phagocytes in the present study facilitated their identification and quantitation in the placenta.

Approximately 65 per cent of the cells in cell suspensions from placentae at all stages of gestation exhibited avid Fc receptors and were morphologically indistinguishable from mononuclear phagocytes. Most of these cells also were phagocytic and expressed C3 receptors. Furthermore, when cells expressing α-naphthyl butyrate esterase positivity as well as high-affinity receptors for immune complexes were visualized in the stroma of chorionic villi, nearly all stromal cells were positive. The results suggest that Hofbauer cells represent the fully differentiated, morphologically-obvious end-stage members of a large mononuclear phagocyte population which is present in chorionic villi throughout gestation.

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Apoptosis in placentas from human T-lymphotropic virus type I- seropositive pregnant women: A possible defense mechanism against transmission from mother to fetus
1999, Obstetrics and Gynecology
Objective: The mechanism by which the placenta serves as the barrier against mother-to-fetus transmission of microorganisms remains to be elucidated. Programmed cell death, apoptosis, is considered a cellular defense mechanism against infection. The hypothesis of this study is that apoptosis of human T-lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I)–infected placental villous cells is involved in the defense mechanism against mother-to-fetus transmission of HTLV-I.
Methods: Apoptosis was compared in term placentas from eight HTLV-I–seropositive pregnant women and eight HTLV-I–seronegative pregnant women by the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine nick end-labeling method. In addition, an in vitro cocultivation with an HTLV-I–infected lymphocyte cell line (MT-2 cells) was performed to examine whether placental villous cells were infected with HTLV-I and apoptosis was induced.
Results: The incidence of apoptosis-positive cells (nuclei) in placentas from the HTLV-I–seropositive pregnant women was higher than in the HTLV-I–seronegative pregnant women (P < .02). Cocultivation with MT-2 cells showed that trophoblast cells were able to be infected with HTLV-I and that apoptosis was induced in the placental villous cells.
Conclusion: HTLV-I infection induces apoptosis in the placenta. We speculate that apoptosis may be involved in the defense mechanism of the placenta against mother-to-fetus transmission of HTLV-I.
Immunobiology of human uteroplacental macrophages - Friend and foe?
1996, Placenta
Serum granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) in gestational trophoblastic diseases
1995, Cytokine
GM-CSF was assayed by a solid phase enzyme immunoassay in sera of 42 cases of vesicular mole, 24 cases of choriocarcinoma and 23 cases of normal pregnant women at their first trimester (controls). Diagnosis of gestational trophoblastic disease (GTD) was based on histopathologic examination of biopsy specimens obtained by endometrial curettage in cases of choriocarcinoma and molar tissue in patients with vesicular mole. Serum concentration of chorionic gonadotrophin beta subunit (hCGβ) was determined by I¹²⁵ solid phase radioimmunoassay before and after treatment at weekly intervals for 3 months and then monthly for one year. According to pathologic diagnosis and serial serum hCGβ assays, cases of GTD were subdivided into remission and progressive tumour groups. Results demonstrated that serum GM-CSF levels in cases of vesicular mole as well as remission cases of choriocarcinoma were not significantly different from those of controls. On the other hand, progressive tumour cases of choriocarcinoma which later showed an abnormal hCGβ regression curve had significantly elevated serum GM-CSF level, where the mean fold rise amounted to 2.55 of the mean control value. Moreover, the incidence of abnormally elevated serum GM-CSF in these cases was 80%. It seems that this rise reflects a possible mechanism of immune surveillance. These results indicate that serum GM-CSF assay may be considered as a valuable prognostic biomarker in cases of malignant trophoblastic tumours where the assay is clinically useful in identifying high risk choriocarcinoma cases, thus justifying the installation of early specific treatment as well as intensive follow up care.
Methodological approaches for pathological and experimental studies of placental infections: A workshop report
1994, Placenta
Phenotypic characterization of normal human placental mononuclear cells
1993, Journal of Reproductive Immunology
The placenta is a rich source of immunocompetent cells. We have studied the phenotype, number and origin of placental mononuclear blood cells isolated from 32 normal term placentae using 4 color flow cytometry. Respective maternal and cord blood leucocyte preparations were also compared. Placental tissue without extraembryonic membranes was cut into small pieces and divided. One portion was washed extensively with ice-cold PBS. Both tissue portions were disrupted in a blender and cells were dissociated by using a 180μ sieve. Leucocytes were isolated by Ficoll-Hypaque density gradient centrifugation. Maternal and cord bloods were HLA typed and in cases of HLA-A2 or B7/40 disparity, monoclonal anti-HLA antibodies to these antigens showed that unwashed placental tissue contained 35% maternal and 65% fetal cells. This ratio, however, was not reflected for a given cell phenotype. In comparison, washed placental tissue contained cells of fetal origin only. Both unwashed and washed placental tissue contained fewer CD3 and CD4, but more CD8 cells than maternal and cord blood. Markers of NK cells such as, CD16, CD56, and CD57 showed this cellular phenotype to be 15 times more abundant in the placental preparations than in cord and maternal blood. The quantitative differences between peripheral blood and placental CD8 and NK cells were further explored with an antiprogesterone receptor antibody in combination with anti-CD8, anti-CD57 and anti-HLA-DR. The number of progesterone receptor (PGR) positive cells was three times higher in placental tissues than in cord or maternal blood. These data indicate that the phenotypic frequencies of certain placental leucocytes are significantly different from maternal and fetal peripheral blood. Progesterone and the presence of PGR may be important in the differential retention of placental leucocytes.
Metabolism of very-low-density lipoprotein triglyceride by human placental cells: The role of lipoprotein lipase
1992, Metabolism
Several studies have shown lipoprotein lipase (LPL) activity in human placenta, but the quantitative significance and cellular specificity of LPL in this organ are unknown. The objective of this report is to investigate the metabolism of very-low-density lipoprotein triglycerides (VLDL-TG) by the placenta, the role of LPL in this process, and the types of cells involved. Placental cells were obtained by enzymatic digestion (collagenase, hyaluronidase, and DNA-ase) and separated on a 40% Percoll gradient. The trophoblasts were the predominant cell type (80% to 85% pure) isolated at d = 1.033 to 1.048 and macrophages were predominant at d = 1.077 to 1.100 (>95% pure), as characterized by eight immunocytochemical assays using cell protein-specific monoclonal antibodies. Macrophages represented 50% to 60% of cells isolated, and trophoblasts, 40% to 50%. LPL activity was assessed by VLDL-TG hydrolysis in primary 3- to 4-day tissue culture. In a representative experiment, LPL activity (nmol fatty acids (FA)/mg protein/24h) was 101.3 ± 5.3 in macrophages and 29.9 ± 6.5 in the predominant trophoblast cell types, with approximately 20% of these amounts incorporated and reesterified. VLDL-TG hydrolysis and cell lipid uptake in both placental cell types was essentially abolished by a monoclonal anti-LPL antibody. When compared with a model of hepatocytes (Hep G2 cells), the hydrolysis of VLDL-TG was almost undetectable in these cells. In contrast, free fatty acids (FFA) uptake by Hep G2 cells was fourfold to sixfold greater than that by macrophages and trophoblasts, respectively. In conclusion, macrophages and trophoblasts are the two predominant placental cells isolated by enzymatic digestion. The majority of VLDL-TG hydrolysis activity in tissue culture of placental cells arises from macrophages and is LPL-mediated. Compared with a cell model of hepatocyte function, VLDL-TGFA predominate as a source of FA for placental cells, while FFA predominate for the hepatocyte. Placental macrophages may play a role in the uptake of triglyceride-rich lipoprotein FA for placental storage, oxidation, and transfer to the fetus.

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Placenta

Summary

References (33)

The structure and function of monocytes and macrophages

Advances in Immunology

The regulatory role of macrophages in antigenic stimulation

Advances in Immunology

Studies on the regulation of lymphocyte activity by normal and activated macrophages

Cellular Immunology

Immunobiology of the human placentae. I. IgG Fc receptors in trophoblastic villi

Cellular Immunology

Immunobiology of the human placenta: II. Localization of macrophages, in vivo bound IgG and C3

Cellular Immunology

Properties of receptors for IgG on human placental cell membranes

International Archives of Allergy and Applied Immunology

Thymic macrophages modulate one stage of T cell differentiation in vitro

Journal of Immunology

Properties of antibodies cytophilic macrophages

Journal of Experimental Medicine

Development and structure of the human placentae from the end of the 3rd month of gestation

Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology of the British Commonwealth

Receptors on cultured human trophoblast cells

The cytology of Hofbauer cells

Anatomical Record

Macrophages in syngeneic animal tumours

Transplantation

The incidence and significance of Hofbauer cells in mature placenta

Journal of Pathology and Bacteriology

ADCC effector cells in a murine adenocarcinoma. I. Evidence for blood-borne bone marrow derived monocytes

International Journal of Cancer

Cited by (57)

Apoptosis in placentas from human T-lymphotropic virus type I- seropositive pregnant women: A possible defense mechanism against transmission from mother to fetus

Immunobiology of human uteroplacental macrophages - Friend and foe?

Serum granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) in gestational trophoblastic diseases

Methodological approaches for pathological and experimental studies of placental infections: A workshop report

Phenotypic characterization of normal human placental mononuclear cells

Metabolism of very-low-density lipoprotein triglyceride by human placental cells: The role of lipoprotein lipase