Timed sexual intercourse facilitates the recruitment of uterine CD56(bright) natural killer cells in women with infertility.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of sexual intercourse on uterine NK cell subsets.


METHODS
Mid-secretory endometrial samples obtained from 56 women were submitted for flow cytometric analysis. Basal body temperature was used to determine the day of ovulation. A total of 27 women had sexual intercourse before ovulation (pre-ovulation group) and eight women had only after ovulation (post-ovulation group) without any contraceptive devices. A total of 21 women did not have sexual intercourse during the experimental cycle (abstinence group). Endometrial NK cells were analyzed for the expression of CD16 and CD56 using 3-color flow cytometry.


RESULTS
CD16(-)/CD56(bright) cells were markedly increased in the pre-ovulation group as compared with that of the post-ovulation group (P < 0.01) and the abstinence group (P < 0.01). CD16(+)/CD56(dim) cells were significantly decreased in the pre-ovulation group as compared with that of the post-ovulation group (P < 0.01) and the abstinence group (P < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
It is suggested that seminal plasma participates in the recruitment of CD56(bright) NK cells into endometrium.
Kimura
Hidetaka
H
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine, Hirosaki, Aomori, Japan.
Fukui
Atsushi
A
Fujii
Shunsaku
S
Yamaguchi
Eiji
E
Kasai
Goichiro
G
Mizunuma
Hideki
H
D000328:Adult; D019002:CD56 Antigen / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D002633:Chemotaxis; D003075:Coitus; D004717:Endometrium / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D058851:GPI-Linked Proteins; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007247:Infertility, Female / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D010060:Ovulation / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D017452:Receptors, IgG / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D014599:Uterus / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism
D019002:CD56 Antigen; C428200:FCGR3B protein, human; D058851:GPI-Linked Proteins; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones; D017452:Receptors, IgG