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Characteristics of Perforin Expressing Lymphocytes Within the First Trimester Decidua of Human Pregnancy
Author(s) -
RUKAVINA DANIEL,
RUBEŠA GORDANA,
GUDELJ LEA,
HALLER HERMAN,
PODACK ECKHARD R.
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
american journal of reproductive immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.071
H-Index - 97
eISSN - 1600-0897
pISSN - 1046-7408
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0897.1995.tb00908.x
Subject(s) - decidua , perforin , cd8 , cytotoxic t cell , cd3 , biology , andrology , medicine , endocrinology , immunology , pregnancy , immune system , placenta , fetus , in vitro , biochemistry , genetics
PROBLEM : The number of perforin (P)‐positive cells in decidua of pregnancy is larger than that observed in any other pathological condition. The aim was to investigate the distribution and the phenotype of P + cells. METHOD : Decidual tissue was obtained from the first trimester vaginal termination of pregnancy. Tissue distribution of P + cells was analyzed by immunohistochemistry. The method for simultaneous measurement of P and cell surface is presented. RESULTS : There is no difference in number and distribution of P + cells between decidua basalis (DB) and decidua parietalis (DP). The percentage of P + decidual lymphocytes (DL) is two times higher than in peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) (55% vs. 27%), and the prevalent phenotype is CD3 − CD4 − CD8 − CD2 + (95%) CD11c + (68%) and CD56 + (82%). CD56 bright+ DL are also P bright+ and this is the largest DL subpopulation (42.4% DL). Two different subpopulations of CD8 + DL exist: 1) CD8 bright+ , which are CD3 + CD56 − P − and 2) CD8 dim+ , which are CD3 − CD56 + P + . CONCLUSION : P expressing DL are prevalently nonclassical NK cells (CD16 − ) with low cytolytic activity but fully equipped with potent cytolytic machinery (p bright+ ). There are no classical cytotoxic lymphocytes (CTL) (CD3 + CD8 + P + ) in the decidua, and all CD8 + P + cells are CD3 − CD56 + . The number of P + cells is even higher in DP in the vicinity of noninvasvie trophoblast, than in DB.