title: Natural killer cell activity in early human pregnancy.
abstract: Natural killer (NK) cell activity was determined in 41 women during the first trimester of pregnancy. NK cytotoxicity was similar between the study subjects and nonpregnant controls and was not a reflection of a change in the circulating number of cells or density in culture. Although NK cells may play a role in maternal immune status in advanced pregnancy, NK cells do not appear to be crucially involved in the first trimester, when reproductive wastage usually occurs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, MD 20814.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Opsahl
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hansen
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Klein
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cunningham
mesh_terms: D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology*; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000276:immunology*; D011261:Pregnancy Trimester, First