Audrone Eidukaite1, Almantas Siaurys, Vytas Tamosiunas. 1. Department of Molecular Immunology, Institute of Immunology, Vilnius University, Moletu plentas 29, Vilnius 2021, Lithuania. elza@takas.it
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To investigate killer inhibitory receptor (KIR) expression by natural killer (NK) cells in early pregnancy. DESIGN: Case-control study of immunologic markers. SETTING: University hospital. PATIENT(S): Thirty pregnant women and 22 nonpregnant women. INTERVENTION(S): Peripheral venous blood sampling and decidual tissue collection after elective abortion. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Flow cytometry was used to assess expression of KIR by NK cells in the cell samples. RESULT(S): In contrast to CD56(bright) peripheral blood NK cells, CD56(dim) cells express killer cell Ig-like receptor KIR/NKAT2. However, KIR/NKAT2 and lectin-like CD94 are present on both subsets of decidual NK cells. We found no differences between peripheral blood NK cell subsets from pregnant and nonpregnant women. CONCLUSION(S): Our findings demonstrate that NK cell subsets, distributed in accordance with CD56 molecule density on cell surface, express killer inhibitory receptors CD94 and KIR/NKAT2 in a different way. Our data support the view that CD56(bright)KIR/NKAT2+CD94+ decidual NK cells are specialized NK cells that have an important role to play in early pregnancy.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate killer inhibitory receptor (KIR) expression by natural killer (NK) cells in early pregnancy. DESIGN: Case-control study of immunologic markers. SETTING: University hospital. PATIENT(S): Thirty pregnant women and 22 nonpregnant women. INTERVENTION(S): Peripheral venous blood sampling and decidual tissue collection after elective abortion. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Flow cytometry was used to assess expression of KIR by NK cells in the cell samples. RESULT(S): In contrast to CD56(bright) peripheral blood NK cells, CD56(dim) cells express killer cell Ig-like receptor KIR/NKAT2. However, KIR/NKAT2 and lectin-like CD94 are present on both subsets of decidual NK cells. We found no differences between peripheral blood NK cell subsets from pregnant and nonpregnant women. CONCLUSION(S): Our findings demonstrate that NK cell subsets, distributed in accordance with CD56 molecule density on cell surface, express killer inhibitory receptors CD94 and KIR/NKAT2 in a different way. Our data support the view that CD56(bright)KIR/NKAT2+CD94+ decidual NK cells are specialized NK cells that have an important role to play in early pregnancy.
Authors: Marianne J van den Heuvel; Sirirak Chantakru; Xie Xuemei; Sharon S Evans; Francis Tekpetey; Patricia A Mote; Christine L Clarke; B Anne Croy Journal: Immunol Invest Date: 2005 Impact factor: 3.657