The Application of Aspirin in Pregnancy-Related Complications

Aspirin,one of the most widely applied medicines,not only possesses the effects on reducing fever,anti-vascular hyperplasia,and anti-inflammation,but also has the capacity of preventing platelet aggregation.So far,it is acceptable to adopt aspirin,especially low-dose aspirin(LDA),to prevent pregnancy-related complications,such as pregnancy complicated by antiphospholipid syndrome,systemic lupus erythematosus,or preeclampsia;unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortion;fetal growth restriction;and preterm birth.In this article,we reviewed the possible mechanism of action and applications of aspirin in these pregnancy-related complications.

Interaction between Kynurenine and Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor in Regulating the Balance of T helper 17 Cells and Regulatory T-cells in Decidua during Early Gestation

Objective:To investigate whether kynurenine/aryl hydrocarbon receptor(AHR)affects the maternal-fetal tolerance by involving the differentiation of T helper 17(Th17)/regulatory T(Treg)cells,and to provide theoretical basic for new treatment of unexplained abortion.Methods:Flow cytometry(FCM)was used to detect the expression of AHR in peripheral/decidual CD4+T,Treg,and Th17 cells.The effect of Kyn on the differentiation of peripheral/decidual naïve T-cells under Treg-/Th17-polarizing condition was detected by FCM;enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was performed to examine the level of Kyn in villus and decidual tissues from normal pregnancy(NP)and unexplained abortion(UA).Student’s t-test in the case of two groups or one-way ANOVA in multiple groups was used.Results:AHR expression in CD4+T-cells was decreased in decidua versus blood in early pregnancy(P<0.0001).Kyn could promote the differentiation of peripheral and decidual naïve T-cells to Th17 cells under Treg-polarizing conditions(P<0.01).There was no statistical significance about the concentration of Kyn in decidual or villi tissues between NP and UA,and compared with NP,the expression of AHR in decidual CD4+T-cells from UA was increased(P<0.001).Conclusions:Kyn/AHR promotes Th17 and restricts Treg cells’differentiation,which is involved in maintaining the balance of Treg/Th17 cells at the maternal-fetal interface.

Role of Decidual Natural Killer Cells at the Maternal-Fetal Interface during Pregnancy

Pregnancy is a complicated process with intricate cell-to-cell crosstalk and immune regulation.Decidual natural killer(NK)cells account for 50%-70% of decidual immune cells in early pregnancy,suggesting that they play important roles in various events,such as embryo implantation and vascular remodeling.Many studies have shown that decidual NK cells interact with other cells either through direct contact or the secretion factors such as cytokines and chemokines.Hence,this review aimed to present the phenotypic characteristics,classification,and functions of decidual NK cells at the maternal-fetal interface during pregnancy.