title: Menstrual blood contains immune cells with inflammatory and anti-inflammatory properties.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Successful pregnancy requires balanced regulation of immune cells at the feto-maternal interface. Systemic monitoring of the immune system cannot precisely outline local immune status in the uterus. In this survey, endometrial immune milieu was investigated using a non-invasive method of analysis of menstrual blood (MB). The results were compared with peripheral blood (PB).
  
  
  METHODS
  PB and MB of healthy fertile women (n = 15) were collected simultaneously on the second day of their menstrual cycle. T and natural killer T cell subpopulations were immunophenotyped by flow cytometry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among examined cell populations, the frequency of CD4 + Foxp3+, CD4 + Foxp3 + CD25-, CD4 + Foxp3 + CD25+ and IL17+ T cells (P = 0.022, 0.028, 0.017 and 0.005, respectively) and TCRαβ+, CD45RO+, CD16-, IFNγ + and IL17+ NKT (CD56 + CD3+) cells (P = 0.010, 0.037, 0.038, 0.015 and 0.021, respectively) were significantly higher in MB compared with PB. Conversely, PB contained a higher percentage of CD16+ T cells (P = 0.025) in comparison with MB.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MB contains cells of an inflammatory and anti-inflammatory nature, implying the existence of finely tuned cell homeostasis during menstruation. Our results imply that MB could be viewed as an easy-to access specimen for monitoring endometrial immune cells, especially those that have preferential endometrial localization.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Samira
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hosseini
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Fazel
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Shokri
authors.affiliation: Reproductive Biotechnology Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute, ACECR, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Reihaneh
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tokhmechy
authors.affiliation: Reproductive Biotechnology Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute, ACECR, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Elham
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Savadi-Shiraz
authors.affiliation: Monoclonal Antibody Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute, ACECR, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mahmood
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jeddi-Tehrani
authors.affiliation: Reproductive Biotechnology Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute, ACECR, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Marjaneh
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rahbari
authors.affiliation: Reproductive Immunology Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute, ACECR, Tehran, Iran.|Immunology Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Amir-Hassan
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Zarnani
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D007249:Inflammation / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology*; D008598:Menstruation / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
keywords: Immunophenotyping; NKT cell; interleukin 17; menstrual blood; regulatory T cells