title: Gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) agonist induces down-regulation of the CD3+CD25+ lymphocyte subpopulation in peripheral blood.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To test whether GnRH agonist could alter in vivo human immune cells and whether the alteration is related to the success of pregnancy in an in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET) program.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-six infertile patients were enrolled under the long protocol of GnRH agonist (buserelin acetate) and superovulation with gonadotropin from our IVF-ET program. Peripheral B cells, NK cells, CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, and the expression of CD69, CD25, HLA-DR, and CD71 antigens on the T cells were serially examined by dual-color flow cytometry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  B cells, NK cells, CD8+ T cells, and CD71+ T lymphocyte subpopulations were not changed throughout the whole course of treatment. CD4+ T cell and CD25+ T cell subpopulations were significantly down-regulated when the GnRH agonist was used for approximately 2 wk. CD3+CD69+, CD3+CD25+, and CD3+DR+ lymphocyte subpopulations were increased at 7 days (during implantation) and at 14 days after embryo transfer in pregnant patients, but not in patients who failed to get pregnant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The GnRH agonist had a transiently immunosuppressive effect on CD4+ and CD25+ T cells, but CD69+, CD25+, and HLA-DR+ T cells were activated during and after successful implantation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China.
authors.forename: H N
authors.initials: HN
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.forename: H F
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: S U
authors.initials: SU
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: K H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Chao
authors.forename: Y S
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: T Y
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Gill
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000187:drug effects; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte / Q000187:drug effects; D002064:Buserelin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017252:CD3 Complex / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro / Q000187:drug effects; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D037181:Lectins, C-Type; D011247:Pregnancy; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D000099192:CD69 Antigens
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; D002064:Buserelin; D017252:CD3 Complex; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D037181:Lectins, C-Type; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2; D000099192:CD69 Antigens