Cytokine production by CD16-CD56bright natural killer cells in the human early pregnancy decidua.
Using a cell sorter, CD16-CD56bright natural killer (NK) cells were sorted from decidual mononuclear cells at an early stage of pregnancy. These cells were examined by the reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) method for their expression of mRNA coding for the following 12 cytokines: IL-1 beta, IL-2, IL-3, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), and leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF). Although mRNA coding for every cytokine was detected in decidual mononuclear cells, mRNAs coding for only G-CSF, GM-CSF, M-CSF, TNF-alpha, IFN-gamma, and LIF were detected in CD16-CD56bright NK cells. Also, the supernatant of CD16-CD56bright NK cell cultures was found to contain G-CSF, GM-CSF, M-CSF, TNF-alpha, IFN-gamma, and LIF. These findings indicate that CD16-CD56bright NK cells produce many different cytokines and that these cytokines may play an important role in a successful pregnancy.
Saito
S
S
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nara Medical University, Japan.
Nishikawa
K
K
Morii
T
T
Enomoto
M
M
Narita
N
N
Motoyoshi
K
K
Ichijo
M
M
D015703:Antigens, CD; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; D001483:Base Sequence; D019002:CD56 Antigen; D002469:Cell Separation; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics; D003656:Decidua / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011247:Pregnancy; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D017452:Receptors, IgG
D015703:Antigens, CD; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; D019002:CD56 Antigen; D016207:Cytokines; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D017452:Receptors, IgG; D004247:DNA