Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36303229›Full record

ArticleParasites & vectors2022

Tim-3 downregulation by Toxoplasma gondii infection contributes to decidual dendritic cell dysfunction.

Hongbing Xie, Zhidan Li, Guangmei Zheng, Chunyan Yang, Xianbing Liu, Xiaoyan Xu, Yushan Ren, Chao Wang, Xuemei Hu

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Parasites & vectors, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
10citing papers in PubMed
1.8field-weighted citation impact, top 14% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

10 citing papers in PubMed, 21 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Dysfunctional Decidual CD4Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany) · 2025
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  4. Review
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Hongbing Xie *Department of Immunology, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, 264003, Shandong, People's Republic of China.
Zhidan Li *Department of Immunology, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, 264003, Shandong, People's Republic of China.
Guangmei Zheng *Department of Immunology, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, 264003, Shandong, People's Republic of China.
Chunyan YangDepartment of Oral Biology, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, 264003, Shandong, People's Republic of China.
Xianbing LiuDepartment of Immunology, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, 264003, Shandong, People's Republic of China.
Xiaoyan XuDepartment of Immunology, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, 264003, Shandong, People's Republic of China.
Yushan RenDepartment of Immunology, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, 264003, Shandong, People's Republic of China.
Chao WangDepartment of Immunology, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, 264003, Shandong, People's Republic of China.
Xuemei HuDepartment of Immunology, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai, 264003, Shandong, People's Republic of China. xue-mei-hu@163.com.
Binzhou University · CNBinzhou Medical University · CN

Funding

Taishan Scholar Foundation of Shandong province NO. ts201712066the National Natural Science Foundation of China NO. 81871680
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundWomen in early pregnancy infected by Toxoplasma gondii may have severe adverse pregnancy outcomes, such as spontaneous abortion and fetal malformation. The inhibitory molecule T cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain 3 (Tim-3) is highly expressed on decidual dendritic cells (dDCs) and plays an important role in maintaining immune tolerance. However, whether T. gondii infection can cause dDC dysfunction by influencing the expression of Tim-3 and further participate in adverse pregnancy outcomes is still unclear.

methodsAn abnormal pregnancy model in Tim-3-deficient mice and primary human dDCs treated with Tim-3 neutralizing antibodies were used to examine the effect of Tim-3 expression on dDC dysfunction after T. gondii infection.

resultsFollowing T. gondii infection, the expression of Tim-3 on dDCs was downregulated, those of the pro-inflammatory functional molecules CD80, CD86, MHC-II, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and interleukin-12 (IL-12) were increased, while those of the tolerant molecules indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) and interleukin-10 (IL-10) were significantly reduced. Tim-3 downregulation by T. gondii infection was closely associated with an increase in proinflammatory molecules and a decrease in tolerant molecules, which further resulted in dDC dysfunction. Moreover, the changes in Tim-3 induced by T. gondii infection further reduced the secretion of the cytokine IL-10 via the SRC-signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) pathway, which ultimately contributed to abnormal pregnancy outcomes.

conclusionsToxoplasma gondii infection can significantly downregulate the expression of Tim-3 and cause the aberrant expression of functional molecules in dDCs. This leads to dDC dysfunction, which can ultimately contribute to abnormal pregnancy outcomes. Further, the expression of the anti-inflammatory molecule IL-10 was significantly decreased by Tim-3 downregulation, which was mediated by the SRC-STAT3 signaling pathway in dDCs after T. gondii infection.

Indexed as

Dendritic CellsHepatitis A Virus Cellular Receptor 2ToxoplasmosisAnimalsDown-RegulationFemaleHumansInterleukin-10MicePregnancyToxoplasmaHAVCR2 protein, humanHavcr2 protein, mouseHepatitis A Virus Cellular Receptor 2Interleukin-10Adverse pregnancy outcomeDecidual dendritic cellsMaternal–fetal toleranceT cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain-containing protein 3Toxoplasma gondii

Identifiers

PMID36303229
PMCPMC9615254
OpenAlexW4307442348

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.