Immunology of the Female Reproductive Mucosa

The female reproductive tract is a unique mucosal environment that is exposed to and interacts with a variety of antigens, including commensal bacteria, potentially pathogenic microbes as well as sperm and semen. The upper part of the tract, primarily endometrium, has the principal function of providing a supportive environment to allow implantation and growth of a semiallogeneic fetus. To fulfill these divergent functions, the immune system in …