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ORIGINAL ARTICLE: Timed Sexual Intercourse Facilitates the Recruitment of Uterine CD56 bright Natural Killer Cells in Women with Infertility
Author(s) -
Kimura Hidetaka,
Fukui Atsushi,
Fujii Shunsaku,
Yamaguchi Eiji,
Kasai Goichiro,
Mizunuma Hideki
Publication year - 2009
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.1600-0897.2009.00720.x
Subject(s) - ovulation , abstinence , andrology , endometrium , infertility , gynecology , biology , medicine , physiology , pregnancy , hormone , genetics , psychiatry
Problem The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of sexual intercourse on uterine NK cell subsets. Method of study Mid‐secretory endometrial samples obtained from 56 women were submitted for flow cytometric analysis. Basal body temperature was used to determine the day of ovulation. A total of 27 women had sexual intercourse before ovulation (pre‐ovulation group) and eight women had only after ovulation (post‐ovulation group) without any contraceptive devices. A total of 21 women did not have sexual intercourse during the experimental cycle (abstinence group). Endometrial NK cells were analyzed for the expression of CD16 and CD56 using 3‐color flow cytometry. Results CD16 − /CD56 bright cells were markedly increased in the pre‐ovulation group as compared with that of the post‐ovulation group ( P < 0.01) and the abstinence group ( P < 0.01). CD16 + /CD56 dim cells were significantly decreased in the pre‐ovulation group as compared with that of the post‐ovulation group ( P < 0.01) and the abstinence group ( P < 0.05). Conclusion It is suggested that seminal plasma participates in the recruitment of CD56 bright NK cells into endometrium.