Circulating cytokines during the blastocyst peri-implantation period

Human reproduction is an inefficient process, primarily because of frequent aneuploidy, but also because the maternal-fetal interface requires an immune homeostasis with precise conditions to enable pregnancy. Classical immune studies of peripheral blood had suggested that maternal immunosuppression is required to tolerate the presence of an allogeneic fetus. Although this theory was inspired by solid organ transplantation studies, it is now understood that the immunology of transplantation and that of pregnancy are quite different.
Source: Fertility and Sterility - Category: Reproduction Medicine Authors: Tags: Reflections Source Type: research