Expression of interferon-γ in decidual natural killer cells from women with hypertensive disorder complicating pregnancy.
OBJECTIVE
Hypertensive disorder complicating pregnancy (HDCP) is one of the most frequent and serious pregnancy-related diseases, which is closely related to disorders of the maternal immune system, especially the local immune microenvironment of the maternal-fetal interface. Uterine decidual natural killer (dNK) cells are the major immune cells in the maternal-fetal interface and they play an important role in establishing and maintaining a normal pregnancy. The aim of this study was to investigate the phenotype and function of dNK cells from women with HDCP.


METHODS
Decidual tissues were collected from women with normal pregnancy (normal control group, n = 15 cases) and HDCP (HDCP group, n = 20 cases), respectively. The mononuclear cells were extracted from tissues and flow cytometry (FCM) was utilized to sort out dNK cells. The phenotypes of dNK cells (CD56(bright)CD16⁻CD3⁻ vs CD56(dim)CD16⁺CD3⁻) were detected by FCM. After being co-cultured with Phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate, ionomycin and monensin, the expression level of interferon (IFN)-γ in the dNK cells was detected by FCM.


RESULTS
The phenotypes of dNK cells from the two groups were dominated by the CD56(bright)CD16⁻CD3⁻ subset, with no significant statistical difference (P < 0.05). The expression level of IFN-γ in the dNK cells from women with HDCP was on a lower trend than those from women with normal pregnancy, having significant statistical difference (P = 0.000 < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Our results indicated that although the phenotype of dNK cells from women with HDCP is of no difference, their functions are abnormal. Impaired cell function leads to a lower expression level of IFN-γ and this may account for one of the pathogeneses of HDCP.
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of JINAN University, Guangzhou, China.
Juan
J
Zhou
Xiao-Min
XM
Xiao
Ying-Hua
YH
Wu
D000328:Adult; D061207:Calcium Ionophores / Q000494:pharmacology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003656:Decidua / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D046110:Hypertension, Pregnancy-Induced / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008934:Mitogens / Q000494:pharmacology; D011247:Pregnancy; D061210:Sodium Ionophores / Q000494:pharmacology; D055815:Young Adult
D061207:Calcium Ionophores; C573415:IFNG protein, human; D008934:Mitogens; D061210:Sodium Ionophores; D007371:Interferon-gamma
cell function; cell phenotype; decidual NK cells; hypertensive disorder complicating pregnancy; interferon-γ