The morphological picture of local immune responses in the kidneys, ureters and bladder of the foetuses and newborns, who developed in conditions of maternal preeclampsia

Abstract

The purpose of the research consisted in revealing morphological peculiarities of local immune responses in the kidneys, ureters and bladder of the foetuses and newborns, who developed in conditions of maternal preeclampsia with different degrees of its severity. The research was conducted on autopsy material: the kidneys, ureters and bladders of mature foetuses and newborns. Four groups were formed in the study: group I – foetuses and newborns from mothers with physiological pregnancy; group II – foetuses and newborns from mothers, whose pregnancy was complicated with a mild degree of preeclampsia; group III – foetuses and newborns from mothers, whose pregnancy was complicated with a moderately severe degree of preeclampsia; group IV – foetuses and newborns from mothers, whose pregnancy was complicated with severe preeclampsia. An immune infiltration in the organs of the urinary system of foetuses and newborns was studied with help of histological, immunohistochemical and morphometric methods of examination. In the course of the study it was revealed that local immune responses in the kidneys, ureters and bladder of the foetuses and newborns passed with some abnormal deviations characterized by quantitative changes of СD3, СD4, СD8, СD20 and СD68 cells, whose degree of manifestation increased from the foetus to the newborn and with an aggravation of maternal preeclampsia. Mild, moderately severe as well as severe preeclampsia resulted in an extreme activation of the macrophage system, T cell and B cell immunity in the kidneys, ureters and bladder of foetuses and newborns that manifested itself with an increase of the absolute count of CD3, CD20 and CD68 cells. Mild preeclampsia caused an increase of the absolute count of CD8 cells and a decrease of the absolute count of CD4 cells with a resultant lowering of the immunoregulatory index. Moderately severe and severe preeclampsia caused an increase of the absolute count of CD4 cells and a decrease of the absolute count of CD8 cells with a corresponding elevation of the immunoregulatory index. In foetuses and newborns from mothers with physiological pregnancy as well as from mothers, whose pregnancy was complicated with preeclampsia having different degrees of severity, their kidneys were characterized by a more marked infiltration with immune cells versus their ureters and bladder. Thus, as a result of an excessive antigenic stimulation caused by maternal preeclampsia the local immune responses in the organs of the urinary system, which in physiological conditions fulfill exclusively protective functions, can become alterative and develop morphofunctional changes in the kidneys, ureters and bladder of foetuses and newborns.