Membrane phenotype and expression of perforin and serine esterases by CD3- peripheral blood and decidual granular lymphocyte-derived clones.
OBJECTIVE
Human first-trimester pregnancy decidua were found to contain large numbers of perforin (P)-containing cells, which varied in their membrane antigen phenotype. In this study results obtained by analyzing CD3- clones derived from human early pregnancy decidua and peripheral blood are reported.


METHODS
Decidual tissue was obtained from vaginal termination of first trimester normal human pregnancies. CD3- clones were generated by limiting dilution cloning after the depletion of CD3+ lymphocytes. The cell membrane phenotype was determine by flow cytometry. Perforin was detected by fluorescence-activated cell sorter (FACS) analysis of permeabilised cells. Serine esterases (SE) were identified by histochemical staining for BLT-esterase.


RESULTS
Cloned decidual cell populations retained the overall antigenic phenotype of freshly isolated decidual natural killer (NK)-like cells. All CD3- clones, either derived from decidua or from peripheral blood contained perforin. Serine esterases were present in every decidual clone analyzed.


CONCLUSIONS
Limiting dilution cloning allows the clear-cut analysis of homogenous subsets of decidua-derived NK-like clones. The presence of large amounts of perforin in all of the CD3- clones underlines the extensive transcription of the perforin gene by NK-like lymphocytes.
Gudelj
L
L
Department of Physiology and Immunology, Medical Faculty, University of Rijeka, Croatia.
Christmas
S E
SE
Laskarin
G
G
Johnson
P M
PM
Podack
E R
ER
Rukavina
D
D
D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000378:metabolism; D017252:CD3 Complex / Q000378:metabolism; D002999:Clone Cells; D003656:Decidua / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D004950:Esterases / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D016131:Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D054353:Perforin; D010641:Phenotype; D052899:Pore Forming Cytotoxic Proteins; D011247:Pregnancy
D000954:Antigens, Surface; D017252:CD3 Complex; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D052899:Pore Forming Cytotoxic Proteins; D054353:Perforin; D004950:Esterases