Document Detail


Pathogens and the placental fortress.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  22169833     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
Placental infections are major causes of maternal and fetal disease. This review introduces a new paradigm for placental infections based on current knowledge of placental defenses and how this barrier can be breached. Transmission of pathogens from mother to fetus can occur at two sites of direct contact between maternal cells and specialized fetal cells (trophoblasts) in the human placenta: firstly, maternal immune and endothelial cells juxtaposed to extravillous trophoblasts in the uterine implantation site and secondly, maternal blood surrounding the syncytiotrophoblast (SYN). Recent findings suggest that the primary vulnerability is in the implantation site. We explore evidence that the placental SYN evolved as a defense against pathogens, and that inflammation-mediated spontaneous abortion may benefit mother and pathogen.
Authors:
Jennifer R Robbins; Anna I Bakardjiev
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Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article; Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural; Review     Date:  2011-12-12
Journal Detail:
Title:  Current opinion in microbiology     Volume:  15     ISSN:  1879-0364     ISO Abbreviation:  Curr. Opin. Microbiol.     Publication Date:  2012 Feb 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2012-01-24     Completed Date:  2012-05-11     Revised Date:  2012-05-21    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  9815056     Medline TA:  Curr Opin Microbiol     Country:  England    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  36-43     Citation Subset:  IM    
Copyright Information:
Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Affiliation:
Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Abortion, Septic / immunology,  microbiology,  parasitology
Bacterial Infections / immunology*,  microbiology,  pathology
Female
Humans
Placenta / immunology*,  microbiology,  parasitology
Pregnancy
Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / immunology*,  microbiology*,  parasitology
Pregnancy Complications, Parasitic / immunology*,  parasitology*
Protozoan Infections / immunology*,  parasitology,  pathology
Trophoblasts / immunology
Grant Support
ID/Acronym/Agency:
R01 AI084928/AI/NIAID NIH HHS; R01 AI084928-02/AI/NIAID NIH HHS; R01 AI84929/AI/NIAID NIH HHS

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