CD3- leukocytes present in the human uterus during early placentation: phenotypic and morphologic characterization of the CD56++ population.
In this study, the CD3- LGL/NK cells present in the pregnant human uterus have been characterized. Phenotypic and morphologic analyses of decidual LGL revealed many similarities to the minor CD56bright+, CD16- subset in peripheral blood, but there were some important differences. The relative surface density of CD56+ is greatly increased on decidual LGL to 22x that found on the majority of CD56+ peripheral blood NK cells. The CD56bright+ cells in decidua show LGL morphology, whereas in peripheral blood, they are mainly agranular. Proliferation of CD56+ cells occurs predominantly during the nonpregnant secretory (luteal) phase, indicating these CD56+ uterine LGL do not migrate as terminally differentiated cells. The appearance of CD56+ cells was examined at the ultrastructural level using immunoelectron microscopy. Cells with phenotypic characteristics of decidual LGL occur in a higher percentage (1.11%) in the peripheral blood of women of reproductive age than in men (0.66%). On the basis of these results, it is proposed that the CD56bright+ uterine leukocytes represent a distinctive, hormonally regulated subset possibly adapted to control human placentation.
King
A
A
Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom.
Balendran
N
N
Wooding
P
P
Carter
N P
NP
Loke
Y W
YW
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000032:analysis*; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte / Q000032:analysis*; D017252:CD3 Complex; D019002:CD56 Antigen; D003656:Decidua / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006801:Humans; D016131:Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008297:Male; D016253:Microscopy, Immunoelectron; D010929:Placentation; D011247:Pregnancy; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000032:analysis*
D015703:Antigens, CD; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; D017252:CD3 Complex; D019002:CD56 Antigen; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell