Macrophage Migration Inhibitory Factor Is Up-Regulated in Human First-Trimester Placenta Stimulated by Soluble Antigen of Toxo

Am J Pathol. 2007 Dec 28 [Epub ahead of print]

Macrophage Migration Inhibitory Factor Is Up-Regulated in Human First-Trimester Placenta Stimulated by Soluble Antigen of Toxoplasma gondii, Resulting in Increased Monocyte Adhesion on Villous Explants

Vieira Ferro EA, Mineo JR, Ietta F, Bechi N, Romagnoli R, Silva DA, Sorda G, Bevilacqua E, Paulesu LR

From the Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas,* Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlândia, Brazil; the Dipartimento di Fisiologia, Università degli studi di Siena, Siena, Italy; and the Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.

Considering the potential role of macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) in the inflammation process in placenta when infected by pathogens, we investigated the production of this cytokine in chorionic villous explants obtained from human first-trimester placentas stimulated with soluble antigen from Toxoplasma gondii (STAg). Parallel cultures were performed with villous explants stimulated with STAg, interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), or STAg plus IFN-gamma. To assess the role of placental MIF on monocyte adhesiveness to human trophoblast, explants were co-cultured with human myelomonocytic THP-1 cells in the presence or absence of supernatant from cultures treated with STAg (SPN), SPN plus anti-MIF antibodies, or recombinant MIF. A significantly higher concentration of MIF was produced and secreted by villous explants treated with STAg or STAg plus IFN-gamma after 24-hour culture. Addition of SPN or recombinant MIF was able to increase THP-1 adhesion, which was inhibited after treatment with anti-MIF antibodies. This phenomenon was associated with intercellular adhesion molecule expression by villous explants. Considering that the processes leading to vertical dissemination of T. gondii remain widely unknown, our results demonstrate that MIF production by human first-trimester placenta is up-regulated by parasite antigen and may play an essential role as an autocrine/paracrine mediator in placental infection by T. gondii.

PMID: 18165264 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]