title: Co-stimulation of human decidual natural killer cells by interleukin-2 and stromal cells.
abstract: At the late secretory phase of the menstrual cycle and in early pregnancy, the uterine mucosa is infiltrated by large numbers of natural killer (NK) cells with a distinctive phenotype (CD56bright CD16- CD3-) and large granular lymphocyte (LGL) morphology. Circulating CD56bright NK cells generally proliferate in the presence of interleukin-2 (IL-2), but it is clear that cofactors besides IL-2 are required for optimal response. In the bone marrow, this co-stimulating signal is provided by stromal cells. In the present study we observe that uterine CD56+ cells from early pregnancy decidua similarly proliferate vigorously when cultured with decidual stromal cells and a suboptimal dose of IL-2. This response is dependent on cell-cell contact, as no proliferation of decidual NK cells was observed when they were separated from stromal cells by a permeable cyclopore membrane. In addition, we have studied the expression of Bcl-2 by decidual CD56+ cells. Our results show that the microenvironment of the uterus is likely to have a significant influence on the proliferation and survival of uterine CD56+ cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, UK.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: King
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gardner
authors.forename: Y W
authors.initials: YW
authors.lastname: Loke
mesh_terms: D017252:CD3 Complex / Q000032:analysis; D019002:CD56 Antigen / Q000032:analysis; D002469:Cell Separation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003656:Decidua / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology*; D007700:Kinetics; D011247:Pregnancy; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000032:analysis; D017452:Receptors, IgG / Q000032:analysis; D017154:Stromal Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes
chemical_list: D017252:CD3 Complex; D019002:CD56 Antigen; D007376:Interleukin-2; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D017452:Receptors, IgG