title: Human decidual natural killer cells express the receptor for and respond to the cytokine interleukin 15.
abstract: The natural killer (NK) cells that are present in the uterine mucosa (decidua) during early pregnancy have a distinctive phenotype, CD56(bright) CD16(-). These cells have previously been shown to proliferate and be activated by interleukin (IL)-2. However, IL-2 is absent from the decidua and placenta, and we have therefore investigated whether IL-15 is present in the uterus and can act on decidual NK cells. Both IL-15 mRNA and protein were found in a variety of cells but particularly in decidual macrophages. IL-15 induced a proliferative response in decidual NK cells that was blocked by anti-IL-15 and was augmented by stem cell factor. The cytolytic activity of decidual NK cells against K562 was augmented. Interestingly, in contrast to IL-2, although activation with IL-15 resulted in some killing of JEG-3 choriocarcinoma cells, normal trophoblast cells remained resistant to lysis. These findings suggest that IL-15 is a candidate cytokine responsible for NK cell proliferation in vivo in the progesterone-dominated secretory endometrium and early decidua.
authors.affiliation: Research Group in Human Reproductive Immunobiology, Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QP, England.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Verma
authors.forename: S E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Hiby
authors.forename: Y W
authors.initials: YW
authors.lastname: Loke
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: King
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D002460:Cell Line; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D003656:Decidua / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D018664:Interleukin-12 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000494:pharmacology; D019409:Interleukin-15 / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D020382:Interleukin-18 / Q000494:pharmacology; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D010641:Phenotype; D010920:Placenta / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D011247:Pregnancy; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D053647:Receptors, Interleukin-15; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000187:drug effects; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D019089:Stem Cell Factor / Q000494:pharmacology; D014327:Trophoblasts / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: C508024:IL15RA protein, human; D019409:Interleukin-15; D020382:Interleukin-18; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D053647:Receptors, Interleukin-15; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2; D019089:Stem Cell Factor; D018664:Interleukin-12