Increased Serum Levels of Inflammatory Mediators and Low Frequency of Regulatory T Cells in the Peripheral Blood of Preeclamptic Mexican Women

Regulatory T cells (T(regs); CD4+CD25(high)Foxp3+) are critical in maintaining immune tolerance during pregnancy and uterine vascularization. In this study, we show that, in Mexican women with different preeclamptic severity levels, the number of T(regs) and the subset of CD4+CD25(high)Foxp3+ are decreased compared with those of normotensive pregnant women (NP). Moreover, a systemic inflammatory state is a pivotal feature in the pathogenesis of this disorder and could be related to hypertension and endothelial dysfunction. Likewise, we observed elevated levels of IL-6, TNF-α, and IL-8 in the serum of severe preeclamptic patients (SPE); no differences were found in the IL-1β and IL-10 levels compared with those of NP patients. An analysis of chemokines in the preeclamptic serum samples showed high levels of CXCL10, CCL2, and CXCL9. Our findings suggest that the preeclamptic state is linked with systemic inflammation and reduced numbers of T(regs).