LYMPHOCYTES FROM PREGNANT-WOMEN EXPRESS HUMAN CHORIONIC-GONADOTROPIN LUTEINIZING-HORMONE RECEPTOR GENE

Previous studies have indicated that human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG ) has immunoregulatory properties and alters the functions of human ly mphocytes. However, it has not been determined whether the gene encodi ng the receptors for hCG/luteinizing hormone (LH) is expressed in huma n lymphocytes. Total peripheral mononuclear lymphocytes isolated from blood samples of pregnant women by Ficoll-Paque gradient centrifugatio n contained mRNA transcripts encoding the hCG/LH receptors and a 50 kD a receptor protein which can bind I-125-hCG. T-Lymphocytes isolated fr om total mononuclear cell fractions also contained these receptor mRNA transcripts as well as the receptor protein. The levels of receptor t ranscripts and receptor protein are lower in lymphocytes than in ovari an tissue. These findings suggest that the immunoregulatory actions of hCG are probably mediated by specific receptors in T-lymphocytes from pregnant women.