title: Decidual natural killer cells and the immune microenvironment at the maternal-fetal interface.
abstract: During early pregnancy, an orchestrated evolutionary maternal adaption toward tolerance of the semiallogeneic fetus is required to ensure decidualization and early embryo development. Remodeling of the immune system involves natural killer cells (NKs), macrophages, T cells and dendritic cells (DCs) altering the microenvironment in the deciduas. In particular, a unique population of NK cells with a CD56brightCD16-phenotype in the decidua has been proposed to play a key role in the maternal adaptation to pregnancy. However, there is a tendency for pregnancy immunology to reflect transplantation immunology regarding the assumption that the maternal immune system should be suppressed. This tendency is misleading. We discuss how the immune system is formed in early deciduas and the interactions between maternal NK cells and fetal growth. We propose that the maternal immune response must not be fully suppressed and is even necessary for the local response of uterine NK cells.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Immunology and the CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Life Science and Medical Center, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230027, China. fbq@ustc.edu.cn.|Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230027, China. fbq@ustc.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Binqing
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.affiliation: Institute of Immunology and the CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Life Science and Medical Center, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230027, China.|Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230027, China.
authors.forename: Haiming
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wei
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002450:Cell Communication / Q000276:immunology; D060833:Cellular Microenvironment / Q000276:immunology*; D003656:Decidua / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange / Q000276:immunology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D014327:Trophoblasts / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology
keywords: NK cells; decidua; fetal growth; the immune microenvironment