A Review on macrophage biology and its potential role in spontaneous abortion

Abstract

Spontaneous abortion (SA) is a challenging and frustrating obstetric complication. Immune dysregulation at the mother-fetal interface has long been recognized as a threat to pregnancy maintenance. Decidual macrophages are key gatekeepers for immune homeostasis at the mother-fetal interface, characterized by their heterogeneity and high plasticity. Abnormalities in their number, function, and phenotype are strongly associated with pregnancy loss. However, the specific regulation mechanisms remain elusive. Here, we outline the origin and identity of the endometrial macrophages and review their diverse changes in phenotypes and functions to pregnancy initiation. More importantly, we highlight the underlying mechanisms mediating aberrant changes in macrophage polarization and functions in the context of SA, involving epigenetic landscape dysregulation, metabolic reprogramming, and aberrant communication between macrophages and other component cells at the maternal-fetal interface. Altogether, these provide a clear framework for understanding the crucial roles and prospective therapeutic targets of macrophages in SA.

Keywords: cell communication; epigenetic regulation; macrophages; maternal–fetal interface; metabolic reprogramming; organelle stress; polarization; spontaneous abortion.