IL-15 expression at human endometrium and decidua.
A large number of natural killer (NK) cells appear in human uterine mucosa during the secretory phase and first trimester pregnancy. We investigated the expression of interleukin (IL)-15, a possible stimulator for these NK cells, in human endometrium and first trimester decidua. Semiquantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction revealed that IL-15 mRNA expression was stronger during the secretory phase and first trimester pregnancy than during the proliferative phase. Immunohistochemistry revealed that immunoreactivity for anti-IL-15 was higher during the secretory phase than it was during the proliferative phase. This was prominent in the perivascular stromal cells around invading spiral arteries during the mid- to late-secretory phase. In first trimester decidua, endothelial cells were also stained as strongly as stromal cells. A membrane-bound IL-15 molecule was detected on the surface of first trimester decidual cells by flow cytometry. Progesterone stimulated the release of soluble IL-15 in the supernatant of cultured decidual cells. These results suggest that IL-15 expression in human uterine mucosa corresponds to the fluctuation of uterine NK cells and that its production is hormonally controlled, especially by progesterone.
Kitaya
K
K
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Dynamic Pathology Research Institute, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, 602-8566, Japan. kitaya@pop01.odn.ne.jp
Yasuda
J
J
Yagi
I
I
Tada
Y
Y
Fushiki
S
S
Honjo
H
H
D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003656:Decidua / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D004717:Endometrium / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D019409:Interleukin-15 / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000502:physiology; D008597:Menstrual Cycle; D009092:Mucous Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D011247:Pregnancy; D011261:Pregnancy Trimester, First; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014599:Uterus / Q000378:metabolism
D019409:Interleukin-15; D012333:RNA, Messenger