Thank you for all your responses regarding immunomodulation during pregnancy.
Along with the information contained in the responses, I was able to find
several studies on this issue.
Progesterone has been shown to prolong the survivability of both allografts
and xenografts. The mechanism I found was reported by Chaouat siting Stites in
_Immunolgy_of_pregnancy_, Oxford University Press, 1993:
"T lymphocyte proliferation requires the presence of growth factor, IL-2. The
production of IL-2 by a subset of T lymphocytes is induced by the macrophage-
derived factor IL-1. Both glucosteroids and P [progesterone] were shown to
block IL-1-induced proliferation." This can explain in part why pregnant women
1) are more susceptible to certain infections during pregnancy, 2) develop
malignancies more frequently, 3) have reduced skin reactions to tuberculin, and
4) show skin homografts surviving twice longer compared to non-pregnant women.
(Szekeres-Bartho, Julia _Immunosuppression_by Progesterone_in_Pregnancy_, CRC
Press, 1992).
I opologize for my sitations; I know they are not literarily correct.
This study, the minor depth that I went into it, proved to be more
fascinating than I ever imagined. Thank you again. Sincerely,
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_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/ _/ John F. Harris -- Computer Consultant
_/ _/ _/ _/ . Internet: jfharr01 at ulkyvx.louisville.edu
_/ _/_/_/ _/_/_/_/ .. .. Bitnet: jfharr01 at ulkyvx.bitnet
_/ _/ _/ _/ . ..... Cogito ergo sum Rene Descartes
_/_/_/ _/ _/ _/ . ........ Esse est percipi George Berkeley
..................................... Ignoceeeees me! Steve Martin
Zoology Major
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