• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.119-129
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• 2008

Objective: The purpose of this study was to quantify decidual $CD56^+$ and $CD16^+$ NK cell subtype population and to evaluate the correlation between decidual NK cell expression and peripheral $CD56^+$ NK cell expression in women with a history of recurrent abortion and increased peripheral NK cells. Methods: Twenty-nine women with recurrent abortion and elevated peripheral $CD56^+$ NK cell percentage who had chromosomally normal conceptus were included in this study. Thirty-two women with recurrent abortion who had chromosomally abnormal conceptus were used as controls. Distribution of $CD56^+$ and $CD16^+$ NK cells in decidual tissues including implantation sites was examined by immunohistochemical staining. The degree of immunohistochemical staining was interpreted by score and percentage. Results: There was a significant difference in decidual $CD56^+$ NK cell score ($43.6{\pm}24.5$ vs. $23.9{\pm}16.3$ P =0.001) and $CD56^+$ NK cell percentage ($42.1{\pm}11.7$ vs. $33.9{\pm}15.8$ P =0.027) between increased peripheral NK cell group and control group. However, there was no statistically significant difference in decidual $CD16^+$ NK cell score ($18.7{\pm}9.5$ vs. $13.2{\pm}39.4$ P =0.108) and $CD16^+$ NK cell percentage ($24.7{\pm}5.9$ vs. $23.4{\pm}11.7$ P =0.599). There was no significant correlation between decidual NK cell score and peripheral NK cell percentage in increase peripheral NK cell group (peripheral $CD56^+$ NK cell percentage vs. decidual $CD56^+$ NK cell score, r=-0.016, P =0.932, peripheral $CD16^+$ NK cell percentage vs. decidual $CD16^+$ NK cell score, r=0.008, P =0.968). Conclusion: This study shows that $CD56^+$ decidual NK cells are increased in decidua of women exhibiting a history of recurrent abortion with increased $CD56^+$ peripheral NK cell. There was no significant correlation between decidual and peripheral NK cell increment in increase peripheral NK cell group. This study suggests the possibility that decidual NK cells may play an important role in the immune mechanism of recurrent abortion.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.199-207
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• 2009

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to compare the decidual NK cell populations between increased pre-conceptional peripheral NK cell population and normal pre-conceptional peripheral NK cell population in women with a history of recurrent abortion. Methods: Fourteen women with history of recurrent abortion and elevated pre-conceptional peripheral NK cell, above 15% of peripheral lymphocyte population were included in this study. As a control, twelve women with history of recurrent abortion and their peripheral NK cell percentage showed below 15% were included. Distribution of $CD56^+$ and $CD16^+$ NK cells in paraffin embedded decidual tissues including implantation sites were examined by immunohistochemical staining using anti-CD56, 16 monoclonal antibodies. After immuohistochemical staining, the numbers of decidual NK cells were counted and compared these results between study and control groups. Results: There was significant difference in decidual $CD56^+$ NK cell count ($170.1{\pm}132.1$ vs. $68.3{\pm}66.1$, p=0.02) between increased peripheral $CD56^+$ NK cell group and control group. But, there showed no statistically significant correlation between decidual $CD56^+$ NK cell count and peripheral $CD56^+$ NK cell percentage (r=0.229, p=0.261). Also there was no statistically difference decidual $CD16^+$ NK cell count between study and control group ($25.70{\pm}11.72$ vs. $31.17{\pm}22.67$), and no correlation between decidual $CD16^+$ NK cell and peripheral $CD16^+$ NK cell percentage (r=-1.40, p=0.535). Conclusions: This study shows that decidual $CD56^+$ NK cell are significantly increased in decidua of women exhibiting a history of recurrent abortion with increased $CD56^+$ peripheral NK cell. This study suggests that the percentage of peripheral NK cell reflect the expression of decidual NK cell. Consequently, pre-conceptional peripheral blood NK cell population can be the useful marker for detecting the risk of subsequent miscarriage.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.15-25
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• 2016

Objective: In the present study, we aimed to evaluate the effects of high doses of dexamethasone (DEX) in early pregnancy on pregnancy outcomes. Methods: Pregnant BALB/c mice were treated with high-dose DEX in the experimental group or saline in the control group on gestational days (GDs) 0.5 to 4.5. Pregnant mice were sacrificed on GDs 7.5, 13.5, or 18.5 and their peripheral blood, placentas, fetuses, and uterine tissue were collected. Decidual and placenta cell supernatants were examined to evaluate the effect of DEX on the proliferation of mononuclear cells, the quantity of uterine macrophages and uterine natural killer (uNK) cells, and levels of progesterone and $17{\beta}-estradiol$, as determined by an 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazole-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay, immunohistochemistry, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, respectively. We also were measured fetal and placental growth parameters on GD 18.5. Results: We found that high doses of DEX were associated with an increased abortion rate, enhancement of the immunosuppressive effect of the decidua, alterations in placental growth parameters, decreased progesterone and $17{\beta}-estradiol$ levels, and a reduced frequency of macrophages and uNK cells. Conclusion: Our data suggest that the high-dose administration of DEX during early pregnancy negatively affected pregnancy outcomes.