Maternal Bias of Immunity to Her Offspring: Possibility of an Autoimmunity Twist out from Maternal Immunity to Her Young

摘要

The major interest in materno-foetal relation is why fetus is not rejected by the mother, even in a different genetic background. But in this article we have been investigating about the effect(s) of maternal antigenic stimulation or infection upon the active immune responses in her offspring. The results of various researchers have certainly pose significant problems as to the defense of infants against infectious agents, especially those introduced by their mothers. But we have already reported that maternal antigenic stimulation greatly suppresses the specific immune response of the offspring in a system of mouse vs. heterologous erythrocytes and other T-dependent antigens. This suppression was antigen specific and effective on 1/6 life of rodents. The mechanisms that concerned in this suppression were not antigen administered nor antibody produced in the mother. The supporting evidences were that this suppression was MHC restricted and limited in during pregnancy for induction between mother and her young. The system examined was separating genetic backgrounds that the haplotype was different in F2 family where half of the young were identical but not in remainder to the F1 mother mouse. From this backcross system, this suppression was MHC restricted, suggesting cell to cell contact with mother to her young. Moreover, cytokine level in both mother and her young, IFN-g levels was up-regulated in such a young whose mother was immunized with antigen. The significance of this phenomenon were accessed as biological and medical intervention especially for the mother and infant health care and prevention of hypersensitivities, autoimmune syndrome for her young after delivery.