Pregnancy is a state of immunological balance during which the mother and the developing fetus must tolerate each other while maintaining sufficient immunocompetence to ward off potential threats. The site of closest contact between the mother and fetus is the decidua, which represents the maternal–fetal interface. Many of the immune cell subsets present at the maternal–fetal interface have been well described; however, the importance of the maternal T cells in this compartment during late gestation and its complications, such as preterm labor and birth, has only recently been established. Moreover, pioneer and recent studies have indicated that fetal T cells are activated in different subsets of preterm labor and may elicit distinct inflammatory responses in the amniotic cavity, leading to preterm birth. In this review, we describe the established and proposed roles for maternal T cells at the maternal–fetal interface in normal term parturition, as well as the demonstrated contributions of such cells to the pathological process of preterm labor and birth. We also summarize the current knowledge of and proposed roles for fetal T cells in the pathophysiology of the preterm labor syndrome. It is our hope that this review provides a solid conceptual framework highlighting the importance of maternal and fetal T cells in late gestation and catalyzes new research questions that can further scientific understanding of these cells and their role in preterm labor and birth, the leading cause of neonatal mortality and morbidity worldwide.

怀孕是一种免疫平衡状态，在此状态下，母亲和发育中的胎儿必须互相耐受，同时保持足够的免疫能力以抵御潜在的威胁。母亲和胎儿之间最紧密接触的部位是蜕膜，它代表了母胎界面。母婴界面上存在的许多免疫细胞亚群已经得到了很好的描述。然而，直到最近才确定孕晚期该腔室中母体T细胞的重要性及其并发症，例如早产和分娩。此外，先驱和最近的研究表明，胎儿T细胞在早产的不同亚群中被激活，并可能在羊膜腔中引起不同的炎症反应，从而导致早产。在这篇评论中 我们描述了在正常足月分娩时母体-胎儿界面上母体T细胞的既定和建议作用，以及此类细胞对早产和分娩的病理过程的贡献。我们还总结了胎儿T细胞在早产综合征的病理生理中的当前知识和建议作用。我们希望，这篇综述提供了一个坚实的概念框架，突出了母体和胎儿T细胞在妊娠后期的重要性，并激发了新的研究问题，可以进一步科学地理解这些细胞及其在早产和分娩中的作用，这是导致早产的主要原因全球新生儿死亡率和发病率。以及这类细胞对早产和分娩的病理过程的贡献。我们还总结了胎儿T细胞在早产综合征的病理生理中的当前知识和建议作用。我们希望，本综述提供了一个坚实的概念框架，突出了母体和胎儿T细胞在妊娠后期的重要性，并激发了新的研究问题，可以进一步科学地理解这些细胞及其在早产和分娩中的作用，这是导致早产的主要原因全球新生儿死亡率和发病率。以及这类细胞对早产和分娩的病理过程的贡献。我们还总结了胎儿T细胞在早产综合征的病理生理中的当前知识和建议作用。我们希望，本综述提供了一个坚实的概念框架，突出了母体和胎儿T细胞在妊娠后期的重要性，并激发了新的研究问题，可以进一步科学地理解这些细胞及其在早产和分娩中的作用，这是导致早产的主要原因全球新生儿死亡率和发病率。