Neutrophil granulocytes and monocytes have been intensively studied, but there is no scientific data on one of their most important functions, namely the phagocyte function in pregnancy and preeclampsia. The aim of this study was to examine this function. Twenty-five healthy pregnant, 25 preeclamptic pregnant, and 20 healthy, non-pregnant women were enrolled into our study. Cells were isolated from peripheral blood samples, marked and evaluated for the phagocytic index with an immunofluorescent microscope after phagocytosing the zymosan molecules. The phagocytic function of monocytes and neutrophil granulocytes decreased significantly in healthy pregnancy compared with non-pregnant women and in preeclampsia, and it decreased significantly compared with healthy pregnancy. Decreased phagocytic function in healthy pregnancy can be a part of the maternal immunosuppression, which is essential for the protection of the hemiallograft fetus. Further reduction of phagocytic function may be one of the immunoregulatory abnormalities found in preeclampsia.

Endometriosis is a chronic systemic disease, which influence negatively the quality of life of affected women and responsible for infertility and chronic pelvic pain. Pathophysiology of the disease is still enigmatic, but insufficient immune surveillance may play a role in it. Peripheral natural immune cell function is rarely examined. The aim of the study was to examine phagocyte function of peripheral neutrophil granulocytes and monocytes, whether this phagocytic activity is affected by the presence or removal of endometriotic lesions in women with endometriosis. Twenty-six preoperative, 13 postoperative samples from women with endometriosis, 23 samples from healthy women, 14 pre- and postoperative samples from the surgical control group were enrolled. Cells were isolated from peripheral blood samples, marked and evaluated for the phagocytosis index with immunofluorescent microscope after phagocyting the zymosane molecules. Phagocyte function of monocytes and neutrophil granulocytes decreased significantly women with endometriosis before surgery compared to healthy controls. However, 7 days after surgery the postoperative values showed significant improvement compared to the preoperative results of women with endometriosis. This increment reached the values of the healthy women. In the surgical control group no difference was detected between the pre- and postoperative outcomes. Decreased phagocyte function of the examined cells, which can be the result of the circulating immunosuppressive factors, may play a role in the deficient clearance of ectopic endometrial tissue. Based on the postoperative results, these immunosuppressive factors may be reduced or eliminated 7 days after surgery in women with endometriosis.

(1) The degree of cytoreduction achieved during primary debulking surgery (PDS) is an important prognostic factor for the survival of patients with epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). Our aim was to investigate the prognostic value of preoperative laboratory parameters for the outcome of PDS. (2) We analyzed the preoperative laboratory parameters of 150 serous EOC patients who underwent PDS between 2006 and 2013. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to determine the optimal cut-off values of the variables for predicting the PDS outcome. We used binary logistic regression to examine the independent predictive value of the factors for incomplete cytoreduction. (3) Among the parameters, we established optimal cut-off values for cancer antigen (Ca)-125, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio (MLR), and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) to predict the outcome of PDS. The results of binary logistic regression showed that stage (FIGO III-IV), MLR (>0.305), and Ca-125 (>169.15 kU/L) were independent significant predictors of the degree of tumor reduction achieved during PDS. (4) In the future, MLR, especially in combination with other parameters, may be useful in determining prognosis and selecting the best treatment option (PDS or neoadjuvant chemotherapy + interval debulking surgery) for ovarian cancer patients.

Data on the respiratory burst activity of granulocytes from healthy and preeclamptic women have remained contradictory. To investigate the role of reactive oxygen species in the etiology of preeclampsia we measured superoxide anion generation by granulocytes from non-pregnant, healthy, and preeclamptic women. We also examined the reciprocal effects of heat-inactivated and non-inactivated plasma on superoxide production. Superoxide generation was measured by ferricytochrome-c reduction. Superoxide production induced by either phorbol-12,13-dibutirate or N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine was significantly decreased in granulocytes from normal pregnant women compared with non-pregnant and preeclamptic women. The phorbol-12,13-dibutirate-induced superoxide generation by granulocytes from non-pregnant and preeclamptic women was significantly inhibited by plasma from healthy pregnant women. The N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine-stimulated superoxide production by granulocytes from non-pregnant and preeclamptic women was suppressed only by non-inactivated plasma, not heat-inactivated plasma from healthy pregnant women. Plasma from preeclamptic women did not influence the phorbol-12,13-dibutirate- and N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine-induced superoxide production by control granulocytes. The phorbol-12,13-dibutirate-induced superoxide generation by granulocytes from healthy pregnant women was significantly increased by the effect of plasma from non-pregnant and preeclamptic women, but when stimulating with N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine only non-inactivated plasma caused the same enhancement. These data indicate that reduced superoxide generation in normal pregnancy may be caused by maternal immunosuppressive factors present in plasma. The failure to reduce superoxide production in preeclampsia may be partly responsible for the endothelial dysfunction characteristic of that condition.

Maternal B cells play a crucial role in the development and maintenance of pregnancy, due to their humoral activities and regulatory functions. In the study, we investigated the alterations in the distributions of naïve and memory B cell subsets, as well as regulatory B (Breg) cells, in the third trimester of pregnancy. Peripheral blood from 14 healthy pregnant women in the third trimester and 7 healthy non-pregnant women was collected and examined for the frequencies of B cell subsets, including IgD⁺CD27⁻ naïve, IgD⁺CD27⁺ un-switched memory, IgD⁻CD27⁺ switched memory, CD38^intCD24^int mature–naïve, CD38⁻CD24^hi primarily memory and CD38^hiCD24^hi transitional B cells by flow cytometry. Breg cell subsets were also characterized based on the expression of CD5, CD1d and IL-10. In pregnant women, the proportions of un-switched memory and transitional B cells were significantly decreased. Additionally, the frequencies of both CD5⁺CD1d⁺ Breg and IL-10-producing B10 cells were decreased in pregnancy. Changes in the distribution of transitional B cells as well as Breg cells may be crucial contributors for the development of altered maternal immune responses and tolerance needed for the maintenance of normal pregnancy in the third trimester.

Objective: Phagocyte function of neutrophil granulocytes and monocytes is decreased in healthy pregnancy and further decreased in preeclampsia. The cause of the declined function is unknown. Decreased phagocyte function can lead to the higher infection rate in healthy pregnancy and may also be responsible for the increased susceptibility to infections and high trophoblast concentration in preeclampsia. The aim of this study is to examine the phagocyte function of neutrophil granulocytes and monocytes. Methods: Monocytes and neutrophil granulocytes were separated from the peripheral circulation of six nonpregnant patients and incubated in plasma samples from six healthy pregnant, six preeclamptic pregnant, and six nonpregnant patients. The cells were marked and evaluated for the phagocytosis index with immunofluorescent microscope after phagocyting the zymosan molecules. Results: Phagocyte function of neutrophils as well as monocytes from nonpregnant patients were decreased significantly when the cells were incubated in plasma samples from healthy pregnant patients, and further decreased when incubated in plasma samples from preeclamptic pregnant women. Conclusion: The decreased phagocyte function of neutrophil granulocytes and that of monocytes in healthy pregnancy and the further decreased phagocyte function in preeclampsia is caused by factor(s) in the maternal circulation.