T-CELL RECEPTORS ARE EXPRESSED BUT DOWN-REGULATED ON INTRADECIDUAL T-LYMPHOCYTES

PROBLEM: Dietl et al. considered ''intradecidual T cell tolerance towa rds fetal antigens'' with their observation that intradecidual T cells lack immunohistochemically detectable amounts of T cell receptor (TCR ) molecules while expressing normal amounts of CD3 molecules during ea rly normal pregnancy (Am J Reprod Immunol. 1990; 24:33-36). METHOD: To reevaluate these findings we examined the TCR and CD3 expression on i ntradecidual T cells using flow cytometry. CONCLUSIONS: In our study, all intradecidual CD3+ T cells expressed either TCR alphabeta or TCR g ammadelta. However, the expression of the CD3/TCR complex on intradeci dual T cells was down-regulated. The level of CD3/TCR complex expressi on on intradecidual T cells was about two-thirds of that on peripheral blood T cells. Further, the proportions of alphabeta+ and gammadelta cells in CD3+ cells did not significantly differ between decidua and peripheral blood.