title: Fluctuation of 6Ckine expression in human endometrium during the menstrual cycle.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To clarify the expression of 6Ckine, a potential chemoattractant for endometrial natural killer (NK) cells, in the human endometrium.
  
  
  METHODS
  Experimental study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Department of obstetrics and gynecology at a medical university.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-seven fertile women 25 to 52 years of age who had regular menstrual cycles and normal endometrium and were undergoing hysterectomy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Endometrium was obtained from operative samples.
  
  
  METHODS
  Tissue was immunostained to determine the localization of 6Ckine in the endometrium throughout the menstrual cycle. The number of NK cells was counted in 10 nonoverlapping stromal areas. The concentration of 6Ckine in homogenized endometrium was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Endometrial surface, glandular epithelial cells, and perivascular stromal cells were immunoreactive for 6Ckine throughout the menstrual cycle with some fluctuation. In addition, some T cells, NK cells, and macrophages in the stroma were immunoreactive for 6Ckine. The 6Ckine concentration was low in the proliferative phase but elevated in the secretory phase. It showed a moderate positive correlation with the number of endometrial NK cells.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  6Ckine may be a potential chemoattractant for endometrial NK cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakayama
authors.forename: Kotaro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kitaya
authors.forename: Tomoharu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Okubo
authors.forename: Haruo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kuroboshi
authors.forename: Nobue
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Daikoku
authors.forename: Shinji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fushiki
authors.forename: Hideo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Honjo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000032:analysis*; D054421:Chemokine CCL21; D019742:Chemokines, CC / Q000032:analysis*; D004717:Endometrium / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007044:Hysterectomy; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology; D008597:Menstrual Cycle / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; C515478:CCL21 protein, human; D054421:Chemokine CCL21; D019742:Chemokines, CC