title: Timed sexual intercourse facilitates the recruitment of uterine CD56(bright) natural killer cells in women with infertility.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine, Hirosaki, Aomori, Japan.
authors.forename: Hidetaka
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kimura
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fukui
authors.forename: Shunsaku
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fujii
authors.forename: Eiji
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Yamaguchi
authors.forename: Goichiro
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kasai
authors.forename: Hideki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mizunuma
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D019002:CD56 Antigen; C428200:FCGR3B protein, human; D058851:GPI-Linked Proteins; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones; D017452:Receptors, IgG