Study of the role of melatonin in the control of TH17 development during the gestation period

The study of the role of endogenous melatonin in the regulation of Th17 differentiation during pregnancy was carried out. The objects of the study were leukocytes of women in the trimester I of pregnancy, as well as leukocytes of healthy non-pregnant women of reproductive age. The influence of endogenous me-latonin was determined by culturing lymphocytes in the presence of autologous serum with blockade of melatonin-dependent signals using inhibitor of membrane melatonin receptor (MT). The percentage of CD4 + T-cells expressing RORyi and the expression level of this transcription factor, defined as the Middle Fluorescence Intensity (MFI) ex vivo, as well as after 48 hours of culture were studied by flow cy-tometry using appropriate monoclonal antibodies for surface and intracellular staining. As a result, differences in the groups of pregnant and nonpregnant women according to the level of RORyi expression (MFI) were revealed. Wherein the study of Th17 cells percent both ex vivo and in the activation process did not find significant differences between the groups. Despite the fact that the effect of melatonin through surface receptor (MT) were observed in both groups under study percent of CD4+RORyt+ lymphocytes, the impact of the hormone in the regulation of MFI was found only in pregnant women. It likely to be connected with the involvement of the intracellular receptor for the hormone - RORa.