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Hum. Reprod. Advance Access originally published online on March 10, 2005
Human Reproduction 2005 20(5):1123-1126; doi:10.1093/humrep/deh804
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© The Author 2005. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions{at}oupjournals.org

New Debate

Natural killer cells and reproductive failure—theory, practice and prejudice

Raj Rai1,3, Gavin Sacks1,2 and Geoffrey Trew2

1 Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, St Mary's Hospital, and 2 Department of Reproductive Medicine, Hammersmith Hospital, London, UK

3 To whom correspondence should be addressed at: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Imperial College London, Mint Wing, South Wharf Road, London W2 1PG, UK. Email: r.rai{at}imperial.ac.uk

The relationship between peripheral blood natural killer (NK) cells and reproductive failure is one of the most controversial areas in reproductive medicine. Amidst much publicity, peripheral blood NK cell testing is being promoted as a useful diagnostic test to guide the initiation of a variety of immunosuppressive therapies amongst patients with either recurrent miscarriage or infertility. We contend (i) that at present there is no scientific basis for the introduction of NK cell testing into routine clinical practice, and (ii) that the use of immunosuppressant agents based on the results of such testing may potentially be harmful.

Key words: NK cells/peripheral blood/pregnancy/TNF-{alpha}


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