Natural killer cell activity in early human pregnancy.
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.
Opsahl
M
M
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, MD 20814.
Hansen
K
K
Klein
T
T
Cunningham
D
D
D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology*; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000276:immunology*; D011261:Pregnancy Trimester, First