title: CD56+ lymphoid cells in human first trimester pregnancy decidua as a source of novel transforming growth factor-beta 2-related immunosuppressive factors.
abstract: The lymphomyeloid cells isolated from normal first trimester pregnancy decidua may be separated into a CD56+ population of natural killer (NK)-lineage cells with the morphology of granulated lymphocytes, and a CD56- population which includes other cell types. Unlike CD56+ NK cells in peripheral blood, decidual CD56+ cells lack type III Fc receptors (CD16) and did not express significant levels of either type I FcR (CD64) or type II FcR (CDw32). By contrast to the decidual CD56- cells, CD56+ cells could release biologically active transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta in vitro, detectable using an normal rat kidney fibroblast colony-forming assay. The CD56+ cells could be stained using an antibody specific for TGF-beta 2, and similarly staining cells could be detected in intact biopsies of normal pregnancy decidua. Bioactive TGF-beta is known to suppress the generation of cytotoxic cells in vitro, and high performance liquid chromatography fractionation of supernatants conditioned by CD56+ but not CD56- cells contained reproducible peaks of immunosuppressive activity at 40-45 and 15-20 kDa, similar to the TGF-beta 2 immunosuppressive activity in supernatants conditioned by unfractionated decidua.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Clark
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vince
authors.forename: K C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Flanders
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hirte
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Starkey
mesh_terms: D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000032:analysis*; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte / Q000032:analysis*; D019002:CD56 Antigen; D002469:Cell Separation; D003656:Decidua / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D007108:Immune Tolerance; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology*; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011261:Pregnancy Trimester, First; D011961:Receptors, Fc / Q000032:analysis; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; D019002:CD56 Antigen; D011961:Receptors, Fc; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta