The role of leptin in the control of the expression of activation membrane molecules by different T-cell subpopulations

The effect of leptin at doses characteristic of pregnancy on the expression of activation markers of different T-cell subpopulations of peripheral blood of women was studied. It was found that the hormone decreases CD25 expression on activated T-helpers and increases it on cytotoxic T cells but has no effect on the number of CD95⁺ T-cells and T regulatory cells. In interleukin-2-stimulated cells, the effects of leptin change for the opposite: the hormone does not affect CD25 expression on activated T-helpers and suppresses it on CD8⁺ T cells. Thus, it is shown that leptin plays a key role in the activation of T cells during pregnancy.