title: Expression of NK cell receptors on decidual T cells in human pregnancy.
abstract: Specific receptors enable NK cells to discriminate between cells with normal expression of MHC class I and cells that have low or absent expression of MHC class I molecules. In addition to NK cells, these receptors can be expressed on T cell subsets, mainly on CD8+ T cells but also on gammadeltaTCR+ T cells and CD4+ T cells. Although the function of NK cell receptor expression on T cells is not completely understood, various studies have shown that they are involved in down regulation of T cell receptor (TCR)-mediated activation and influence effector functions, like cytotoxicity and cytokine production. The aim of this study was to analyze expression of NK cell receptors on peripheral blood and decidual T cells during human pregnancy using flow cytometry. We demonstrate that a proportion of decidual T cells express HLA-C specific killer immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs). Furthermore, a small proportion of decidual T cells express the HLA-E specific CD94-NKG2A inhibitory and CD94-NKG2C activating receptors. Decidual KIR+ and CD94-NKG2+ T cells mainly display a CD3+CD4-CD8- phenotype. However, decidual tissue also contains higher percentages of KIR and CD94-NKG2 expressing CD4+ and CD8+ T cells compared to peripheral blood. So far, the functional capacities of decidual T cells expressing the NK cell receptors are unknown but NK cell receptor expression on decidual T cells may provide an alternative means by which decidual T cells distinguish self (maternal) cells from allogeneic fetal cells, and act to modulate the decidual immune response.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunohematology and Blood Transfusion, Leiden University Medical Center, The Netherlands. T.Tilburgs@LUMC.nl
authors.forename: Tamara
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tilburgs
authors.forename: Barbara J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: van der Mast
authors.forename: Nicole M A
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Nagtzaam
authors.forename: Dave L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Roelen
authors.forename: Sicco A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Scherjon
authors.forename: Frans H J
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Claas
mesh_terms: D001775:Blood Circulation / Q000502:physiology*; D017252:CD3 Complex; D015704:CD4 Antigens; D016827:CD8 Antigens; D003656:Decidua / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D006680:HLA Antigens / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D015236:HLA-C Antigens / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D006650:Histocompatibility Testing; D006801:Humans; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D055654:NK Cell Lectin-Like Receptor Subfamily C / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D051920:NK Cell Lectin-Like Receptor Subfamily D / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D011247:Pregnancy; D054344:Receptors, KIR2DL3 / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000502:physiology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000502:physiology*; D023001:Transplantation Tolerance / Q000276:immunology; D000097625:HLA-E Antigens
chemical_list: D017252:CD3 Complex; D015704:CD4 Antigens; D016827:CD8 Antigens; D006680:HLA Antigens; D015236:HLA-C Antigens; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I; D055654:NK Cell Lectin-Like Receptor Subfamily C; D051920:NK Cell Lectin-Like Receptor Subfamily D; D054344:Receptors, KIR2DL3; D000097625:HLA-E Antigens; C497869:KLRD1 protein, human