LYMPHOCYTE-T AND LYMPHOCYTE-B DURING NORMAL HUMAN-PREGNANCY - LONGITUDINAL-STUDY

Immunological relationships in pregnancy were investigated in a longitudinal study of twenty‐two pregnant women, whose blood samples were taken before pregnancy, during pregnancy. at delivery, and 3–5 months after delivery. Blood samples were also taken from the fathers and the infants, both at birth and after 3–5 months. All the samples were frozen by means of a cryobiological freezing system, and when a whole longitudinal series had been collected, the material was thawed and tested in a single seance. T and B lymphocytes were studied with rosette tests (E and HEAC rosettes). T and B lymphocytes were found not to change during the course of pregnancy. It is thus concluded that the mother's tolerance of a fetus with a dissimilar tissue type is not exercised via changes in the total count of T and B lymphocytes, although there may well be changes in their subpopulations, with the hypothesis that T‐suppressor function increases and B‐lymphocyte function decreases. Copyright © 1979, Wiley Blackwell. All rights reserved