title: NK22 Cells in the Uterine Mid-Secretory Endometrium and Peripheral Blood of Women with Recurrent Pregnancy Loss and Unexplained Infertility.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We aimed to investigate natural killer 22 (NK22) cells in the peripheral blood and the uterine endometrium of women with unexplained recurrent pregnancy loss (URPL) and unexplained infertility (UI).
  
  
  METHODS
  Peripheral blood and endometrial samples were collected from women with URPL (n = 43) and UI (n = 38). Intracellular cytokine production, such as IL-22, IFN-γ and TNF-α, and the expression of NKp46 on NK cells were analyzed by three-color flow cytometry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The percentages of endometrial CD56(+) /IL-22(+) and CD56(dim) /IL-22(+) cells in women with URPL were significantly higher than those of UI (P < 0.05, respectively). In addition, the percentage of CD56(bright) /IL-22(+) cells in women with RPL was negatively correlated with those of CD56(bright) /IFN-γ(+) and CD56(bright) /TNF-α(+) in both peripheral blood and endometrial NK cells. This was not seen in women with UI. The percentage of CD56(bright) /IL-22(+) cells was negatively correlated with CD56(bright) /NKp46 expressing NK cells in peripheral blood.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Endometrial NK22 cells are differently regulated in women with URPL and UI. Women with URPL have higher level of NK22 cells with a potential to induce NK2 shift than women with UI.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine, Hirosaki, Aomori, Japan.
authors.forename: Mai
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kamoi
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine, Hirosaki, Aomori, Japan.
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fukui
authors.affiliation: Reproductive Medicine Program, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, Vernon Hills, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Joanne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kwak-Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine, Hirosaki, Aomori, Japan.
authors.forename: Kohei
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fuchinoue
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine, Hirosaki, Aomori, Japan.
authors.forename: Ayano
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Funamizu
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine, Hirosaki, Aomori, Japan.
authors.forename: Hitomi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chiba
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine, Hirosaki, Aomori, Japan.
authors.forename: Megumi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yokota
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine, Hirosaki, Aomori, Japan.
authors.forename: Rie
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fukuhara
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine, Hirosaki, Aomori, Japan.
authors.forename: Hideki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mizunuma
mesh_terms: D000026:Abortion, Habitual / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D000328:Adult; D019002:CD56 Antigen / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D004717:Endometrium / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D007247:Infertility, Female / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D055627:Natural Cytotoxicity Triggering Receptor 1 / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D011247:Pregnancy
chemical_list: D019002:CD56 Antigen; D016207:Cytokines; C522918:NCAM1 protein, human; C112260:NCR1 protein, human; D055627:Natural Cytotoxicity Triggering Receptor 1
keywords: Cytokine; IL-22; NK cell; NK22 cell; RPL; human uterine endometrium