Skip Navigation



Hum. Reprod. Advance Access published online on March 10, 2005
Human Reproduction, doi:10.1093/humrep/deh804
This Article
Right arrow FREE Full Text (PDF ) Freely available
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
20/5/1123    most recent
deh804v1
Right arrow Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when eLetters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Rai, R.
Right arrow Articles by Trew, G.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Rai, R.
Right arrow Articles by Trew, G.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

Human Reproduction © European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology 2005; all rights reserved
Received October 25, 2004
Revised January 16, 2005
Accepted January 20, 2005

Article

New debate: natural killer cells and reproductive failure--theory, practice and prejudice

Raj Rai 1*, Gavin Sacks 2, and Geoffrey Trew 3

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

* To whom correspondence should be addressed.
Raj Rai, E-mail: r.rai{at}imperial.ac.uk


  Abstract

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.

Keywords: NK cells; peripheral blood; pregnancy; TNF-{alpha}.
Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Hum ReprodHome page
K. King, S. Smith, M. Chapman, and G. Sacks
Detailed analysis of peripheral blood natural killer (NK) cells in women with recurrent miscarriage
Hum. Reprod., October 9, 2009; (2009) dep349v1.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Hum ReprodHome page
R.M. Faridi, V. Das, G. Tripthi, S. Talwar, F. Parveen, and S. Agrawal
Influence of activating and inhibitory killer immunoglobulin-like receptors on predisposition to recurrent miscarriages
Hum. Reprod., July 1, 2009; 24(7): 1758 - 1764.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 ReproductionHome page
Y. Lin, H. Wang, W. Wang, S. Zeng, Y. Zhong, and D.-J. Li
Prevention of embryo loss in non-obese diabetic mice using adoptive ITGA2+ISG20+ natural killer-cell transfer
Reproduction, June 1, 2009; 137(6): 943 - 955.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Hum ReprodHome page
E. Tuckerman, S.M. Laird, A. Prakash, and T.C. Li
Prognostic value of the measurement of uterine natural killer cells in the endometrium of women with recurrent miscarriage
Hum. Reprod., August 1, 2007; 22(8): 2208 - 2213.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Hum ReprodHome page
E.J. Margalioth, A. Ben-Chetrit, M. Gal, and T. Eldar-Geva
Investigation and treatment of repeated implantation failure following IVF-ET
Hum. Reprod., December 1, 2006; 21(12): 3036 - 3043.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Hum ReprodHome page
E. Jauniaux, R. G. Farquharson, O. B. Christiansen, N. Exalto, and On behalf of ESHRE Special Interest Group for Earl
Evidence-based guidelines for the investigation and medical treatment of recurrent miscarriage
Hum. Reprod., September 1, 2006; 21(9): 2216 - 2222.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.