Immune tolerance in pregnancy
Immune Tolerance in Pregnancy
Immune tolerance in pregnancy or gestational immune tolerance is the phenomenon where the immune system of a pregnant woman adapts to prevent the rejection of the fetus and placenta, which carry the genetic material of the father.
Pronunciation
- Immune: /ɪˈmjuːn/
- Tolerance: /ˈtɒlərəns/
- Pregnancy: /ˈprɛɡnənsi/
Etymology
The term "immune tolerance" is derived from the Latin words "immunis" meaning exempt and "tolerantia" meaning endurance. "Pregnancy" comes from the Latin "praegnantia", meaning the state of being with child.
Definition
Immune tolerance in pregnancy refers to the ability of the mother's immune system to tolerate the presence of the fetus and placenta, which are genetically different from her. This is a unique feature of the immune system during pregnancy, which allows for the successful growth and development of the fetus.
Mechanism
The mechanism of immune tolerance in pregnancy involves several components of the immune system, including T cells, B cells, natural killer cells, and dendritic cells. These cells undergo changes in their function and distribution, which help to prevent the mother's immune system from attacking the fetus and placenta.
Related Terms
- Immunology: The study of the immune system.
- Fetus: The unborn offspring from the end of the 8th week after conception.
- Placenta: An organ that connects the developing fetus to the uterine wall to allow nutrient uptake, waste elimination, and gas exchange.
- T cells: A type of white blood cell that is of key importance to the immune system.
- B cells: A type of white blood cell that makes antibodies.
- Natural killer cells: A type of cytotoxic lymphocyte critical to the innate immune system.
- Dendritic cells: Antigen-presenting cells of the mammalian immune system.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Immune tolerance in pregnancy
- Wikipedia's article - Immune tolerance in pregnancy
This WikiMD dictionary article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.
Languages: - East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
Urdu,
বাংলা,
తెలుగు,
தமிழ்,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
русский,
português do Brasil,
Italian,
polski