Abstract:

Maintenance of pregnancy requires a tolerance balance between maternal immune cells and fetal antigens. The maternal-fetal interface, as a key barrier against external stimuli, has been a hot topic in the field of immunology. In addition to the interaction between placenta and uterus, the maternal-fetal interface is also regulated by the superposition of maternal immune cells that make up the decidua. The maternal-fetal immune interface is mainly composed of natural killer cell, macrophage, T cells and dendritic cells which are involved in the tolerance balance and antigen defense of allogeneic fetus. The regulation of cellular metabolism is the cornerstone of cellular biological function, providing a constant source of energy for cells. During the whole pregnancy, the rate and direction of metabolic regulation were accordingly changed in response to the internal and external environment changes. We discuss the metabolic regulation of immune cells at the maternal-fetal interface in this review by linking immunology and metabolism at the maternal-fetal immune interface, so as to provide new insights into immune tolerance and to offer a new therapeutic direction for future research in pregnancy-related diseases.

Key words: Pregnancy, Metabolism, Immune tolerance, Killer cells, natural, Macrophages, T-lymphocytes, Dendritic cells