title: Changes in endometrial natural killer cell expression of CD94, CD158a and CD158b are associated with infertility.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Cycle-dependent fluctuations in natural killer (NK) cell populations in endometrium and circulation may differ, contributing to unexplained infertility.
  
  
  METHODS
  NK cell phenotypes were determined by flow cytometry in endometrial biopsies and matched blood samples.
  
  
  RESULTS
  While circulating and endometrial T cell populations remained constant throughout the menstrual cycle in fertile and infertile women, circulating NK cells in infertile women increased during the secretory phase. However, increased expression of CD94, CD158b (secretory phase), and CD158a (proliferative phase) by endometrial NK cells from infertile women was observed. These changes were not reflected in the circulation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In infertile women, changes in circulating NK cell percentages are found exclusively during the secretory phase and not in endometrium; cycle-related changes in NK receptor expression are observed only in infertile endometrium. While having exciting implications for understanding NK cell function in fertility, our data emphasize the difficulty in attaching diagnostic or prognostic significance to NK cell analyses in individual patients.
authors.affiliation: Education & Research Centre, St. Vincent's University Hospital Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: Emma
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: McGrath
authors.forename: Elizabeth J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Ryan
authors.forename: Lydia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lynch
authors.forename: Lucy
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Golden-Mason
authors.forename: Eoghan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mooney
authors.forename: Maeve
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Eogan
authors.forename: Colm
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: O'Herlihy
authors.forename: Cliona
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: O'Farrelly
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017252:CD3 Complex; D019002:CD56 Antigen; D002452:Cell Count; D002469:Cell Separation; D002909:Chronobiology Phenomena / Q000276:immunology; D004717:Endometrium / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D005498:Follicular Phase / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007247:Infertility, Female / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008183:Luteal Phase / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D051920:NK Cell Lectin-Like Receptor Subfamily D / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D054342:Receptors, KIR2DL1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D054344:Receptors, KIR2DL3 / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D017252:CD3 Complex; D019002:CD56 Antigen; D051920:NK Cell Lectin-Like Receptor Subfamily D; D054342:Receptors, KIR2DL1; D054344:Receptors, KIR2DL3