title: Natural killer cells and their activation status in normal pregnancy.
abstract: Increased peripheral blood-activated NK cell counts are associated with increased risk of miscarriage and failed in vitro fertilization treatment. However, assessment of activated peripheral NK cells in normal and pathological pregnancies beyond implantation and early miscarriage has not been described. Total CD69 expressing NK cells counts were measured by flow cytometry in healthy women with singleton pregnancies, including 45 at 11(+6)-13(+6) weeks' gestation, 46 at 20(+0)-22(+4) weeks, and 42 at 31(+6)-33(+5) weeks. The number of peripheral blood NK cells decreased, whereas the percentage of activated CD69 expressing NK cells increased from the first to the third trimester of pregnancy. This study shows the course of peripheral blood NK cells and activated CD69 expressing NK cells in uncomplicated nulliparous singleton pregnancies. This is a first step in understanding their implication in pathological pregnancies.
authors.affiliation: Harris Birthright Research Centre for Fetal Medicine, King's College Hospital, London SE5 9RS, UK.
authors.forename: Beatrice
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mosimann
authors.affiliation: Harris Birthright Research Centre for Fetal Medicine, King's College Hospital, London SE5 9RS, UK.
authors.forename: Marion
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wagner
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, St. Helier Hospital, Carshalton SM5 1AA, UK.
authors.forename: Hassan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shehata
authors.affiliation: Harris Birthright Research Centre for Fetal Medicine, King's College Hospital, London SE5 9RS, UK ; Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, St. Mary's Hospital, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London, UK.
authors.forename: Leona C Y
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Poon
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, St Helier Hospital, Carshalton, Surrey SM5 1AA, UK.
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ford
authors.affiliation: Harris Birthright Research Centre for Fetal Medicine, King's College Hospital, London SE5 9RS, UK ; Department of Fetal Medicine, University College Hospital, London WC1E 6DB, UK.
authors.forename: Kypros H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Nicolaides
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, St Helier Hospital, Carshalton, Surrey SM5 1AA, UK.
authors.forename: Amolak S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Bansal