title: Expression of Natural Cytotoxicity Receptors on and Intracellular Cytokine Production by NK Cells in Women with Gestational Diabetes Mellitus.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the role of peripheral blood NK (pNK) cells in putative etiology of gestational diabetes, the expression of surface markers on pNK cells and the percentage of cytokine-producing pNK cells in women at 12 weeks of pregnancy with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) were studied.
  
  
  METHODS
  Multicolor flow cytometry was used to analyze the expression of NK cell surface receptors (CD16, NKp46, and NKp30) and intracellular cytokines (IFN-γ, TNF-α, TGF-β, and VEGF) in pNK cells (CD56(dim) and CD56(bright) ) at 12 weeks of pregnancy with GDM (n = 7) and non-GDM (n = 28).
  
  
  RESULTS
  CD56(bright) /CD16(-) NK and CD56(bright) /NKp46(+) NK cell percentage were significantly lower in GDM women than that in non-GDM women. IFN-γ- and TNF-α-producing CD56(+) cells, respectively, were significantly high, while TGF-β- and VEGF-producing CD56(+) cells and CD56(bright) cells, respectively, were significantly low in GDM women.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Women with GDM possibly have abnormal NK cell function for the expression of surface receptors and cytokine production.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Graduate School of Medicine, Hirosaki University, Hirosaki, Aomori, Japan.
authors.forename: Hitomi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chiba
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Graduate School of Medicine, Hirosaki University, Hirosaki, Aomori, Japan.
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fukui
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Graduate School of Medicine, Hirosaki University, Hirosaki, Aomori, Japan.
authors.forename: Kohei
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fuchinoue
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Graduate School of Medicine, Hirosaki University, Hirosaki, Aomori, Japan.
authors.forename: Ayano
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Funamizu
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Graduate School of Medicine, Hirosaki University, Hirosaki, Aomori, Japan.
authors.forename: Kanji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Graduate School of Medicine, Hirosaki University, Hirosaki, Aomori, Japan.
authors.forename: Hideki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mizunuma
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000943:Antigens, Differentiation / Q000378:metabolism*; D001773:Blood Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D002469:Cell Separation; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism*; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D016640:Diabetes, Gestational / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology*; D011247:Pregnancy
chemical_list: D000943:Antigens, Differentiation; D016207:Cytokines
keywords: IFN-γ; TGF-β; TNF-α; VEGF; peripheral blood NK cells