title: Recurrent miscarriage is associated with a decline of decidual natural killer cells expressing killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors specific for human leukocyte antigen C.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the relationship between natural killer (NK) cell phenotype and recurrent miscarriage (RM).
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptor (KIR) expression on decidual NK cells in women with RM.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The expression of KIR2DL1/S1 on CD56(+) CD16(-) NK cells in the deciduas of these women was significantly lower than in that of control subjects (P = 0.026). There was a significant decline in the frequency of CD56(+) CD16(-) NK cells staining for KIR2DL1/S1 and KIR2DL2/S2/L3 throughout the first trimester in patients (P < 0.05). Furthermore, by stratification of the women in three groups according to gestational stage, it was found that KIR2DL1/S1 expressing NK cells were significantly decreased in all groups, especially around gestational days 50-70 (P = 0.010).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is the first report to demonstrate that RM is associated with a decline in the frequency of decidual NK cells expressing KIR specific for human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-C, and in which gestational stage was considered. The results suggest that KIR phenotype contributes to the pathogenesis of the disease, and that assessment of KIR may serve as a diagnostic tool.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, China.
authors.forename: Shan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yan-Ping
authors.initials: YP
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.forename: Yue-Ran
authors.initials: YR
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Zi-Jiang
authors.initials: ZJ
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Cheng-Yan
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Yi-Bing
authors.initials: YB
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.forename: Xie-Tong
authors.initials: XT
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000026:Abortion, Habitual / Q000209:etiology* / Q000276:immunology; D000328:Adult; D003656:Decidua / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D005865:Gestational Age; D015236:HLA-C Antigens / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D054340:Receptors, KIR / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D015236:HLA-C Antigens; D054340:Receptors, KIR
keywords: decidua; human; killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptor; natural killer cells; recurrent miscarriage