The Many Faces of Human Leukocyte Antigen-G: Relevance to the Fate of Pregnancy
Pregnancy is an immunological paradox, where fetal antigens encoded by polymorphic genes inherited from the father do not provoke a maternal immune response. The fetus is not rejected as it would be theorized according to principles of tissue transplantation. A major contribution to fetal tolerance...
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| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wiley
2014-01-01
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| Series: | Journal of Immunology Research |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2014/591489 |
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| Summary: | Pregnancy is an immunological paradox, where fetal antigens encoded by polymorphic genes inherited from the father do not provoke a maternal immune response. The fetus is not rejected as it would be theorized according to principles of tissue transplantation. A major contribution to fetal tolerance is the human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-G, a nonclassical HLA protein displaying limited polymorphism, restricted tissue distribution, and a unique alternative splice pattern. HLA-G is primarily expressed in placenta and plays multifaceted roles during pregnancy, both as a soluble and a membrane-bound molecule. Its immunomodulatory functions involve interactions with different immune cells and possibly regulation of cell migration during placental development. Recent findings include HLA-G contributions from the father and the fetus itself. Much effort has been put into clarifying the role of HLA-G during pregnancy and pregnancy complications, such as preeclampsia, recurrent spontaneous abortions, and subfertility or infertility. This review aims to clarify the multifunctional role of HLA-G in pregnancy-related disorders by focusing on genetic variation, differences in mRNA stability between HLA-G alleles, differences in HLA-G isoform expression, and possible differences in functional activity. Furthermore, we highlight important observations regarding HLA-G genetics and expression in preeclampsia that future research should address. |
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| ISSN: | 2314-8861 2314-7156 |