Human Reproduction, Vol. 14, No. 3, 656-663,
March 1999
© 1999 European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology
Co-stimulation of human decidual natural killer cells by interleukin-2 and stromal cells
Research Group in Human Reproductive Immunobiology, Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 1QP, UK
At the late secretory phase of the menstrual cycle and in early pregnancy, the uterine mucosa is infiltrated by large numbers of natural killer (NK) cells with a distinctive phenotype (CD56bright CD16– CD3–) and large granular lymphocyte (LGL) morphology. Circulating CD56bright NK cells generally proliferate in the presence of interleukin-2 (IL-2), but it is clear that cofactors besides IL-2 are required for optimal response. In the bone marrow, this co-stimulating signal is provided by stromal cells. In the present study we observe that uterine CD56+ cells from early pregnancy decidua similarly proliferate vigorously when cultured with decidual stromal cells and a sub-optimal dose of IL-2. This response is dependent on cell–cell contact, as no proliferation of decidual NK cells was observed when they were separated from stromal cells by a permeable cyclopore membrane. In addition, we have studied the expression of Bcl-2 by decidual CD56+ cells. Our results show that the microenvironment of the uterus is likely to have a significant influence on the proliferation and survival of uterine CD56+ cells.
Key words: cytokine/microenvironment/uterine lymphocytes
1 To whom correspondence should be addressed
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