Maternal-fetal mixed lymphocyte reactivity in pre-eclampsia.

Two-way mixed lymphocyte reactivity (2-way-MLR) between maternal and fetal lymphocytes in vitro, and one-way mixed lymphocyte reactivity (1-way-MLR) of maternal lymphocytes (responders) to stimulation by mitomycin-treated fetal lymphocytes (stimulators), were investigated in normal and pre-eclamptic pregnancies. No relationship was observed between pre-eclampsia and the 2-way-MLR. The 1-way-MLR was lowest in normal pregnancy, higher in mild pre-eclampsia, and highest in severe pre-eclampsia, although none of these differences were statistically significant.