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CD56 bright cells increase expression of α4 integrin at ovulation in fertile cycles
Author(s) -
Peralta Crystal G.,
Han Victor K.,
Horrocks Julie,
Croy B. Anne,
van den Heuvel Marianne J.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
journal of leukocyte biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.819
H-Index - 191
eISSN - 1938-3673
pISSN - 0741-5400
DOI - 10.1189/jlb.0308164
Subject(s) - biology , homing (biology) , ovulation , chemokine , integrin , cytokine , andrology , receptor , immunology , microbiology and biotechnology , medicine , endocrinology , inflammation , hormone , ecology , biochemistry
Leukocyte content of human endometrium changes rapidly after ovulation, particularly as a result of gains in CD56 bright uterine NK (uNK) cells. We have proposed that uNK precursor cells are found within the blood CD56 bright pool and are recruited to decidualizing endometrium through functional changes in their adhesion molecules and chemokine receptors. This study sought to quantify alterations in adhesion molecules, cytokines, chemokines, and receptors induced in circulating CD56 + cells of fertile and infertile women by ovulation. Blood was drawn from 12 fertile volunteers and six female‐infertility patients at Menstrual Cycle Day (d) 5 and on the day following the preovulatory surge of luteinizing hormone (LH). CD56 bright , CD56 dim , and CD56 + CD3 + cell subsets were isolated and evaluated by flow cytometry, quantitative PCR, or Western blotting. In CD56 bright cells from fertile but not infertile women, α 4 integrin increased between d5 and the preovulatory LH surge. CD56 dim and NKT cells did not show a change in α 4 integrin but differed significantly between fertile and infertile donors, and infertile donors had reduced homing molecule expression in CD56 dim and NKT cells, and at ovulation, their NKT cells showed elevated cytokine production. None of the circulating CD56 + cell subsets had transcripts for receptors for estrogen, progesterone, LH, or prolactin. Thus, immunological events associated with the LH surge induce alterations in all subsets of CD56 + cells, and the unique induction of α 4 integrin in CD56 bright cells of fertile women constitutes a potential method to promote uterine homing.