Abstract:

Objective     To analyze ratios of CD56+CD16- and CD56+CD16+ NK cells and expression of integrinαvβ3 on the cell surface in the peripheral blood and decidua in women with early pregnancy or missed abortion. Methods     Peripheral blood samples were collected from women with early pregnancy or missed abortion, and decidual NK cells were isolated from the fresh decidua by mechanical trituration and Ficoll gradient centrifugation. Fluorescent intensity of integrinαvβ3 was detected by FCM. Results     Compared with the peripheral blood of early pregnancy women, percentages of CD56+CD16- NK cells rose while percentages of CD56+CD16+ NK cells decreased in the decidua(P<0.01). And there was no significant difference in percentages of CD56+CD16- NK cells and in percentages of CD56+CD16+ NK cells between early pregnancy and missed abortion women(P>0.05). Compared with early pregnancy women, missed abortion women had decreased expression ofαvβ3 on decidual CD56+CD16- NK cells and increased fluorescent intensity of αvβ3 (P<0.05). Conclusion     NK cells and integrin αvβ3 play important roles in the process of embryo implantation and decidualization of normal pregnancy. Abnormal expression of αvβ3 on decidual CD56+CD16- NK cells may be the immunity cause of missed abortion.

Key words: Early pregnancy; Missed abortion; Natural killer cells; Integrinαvβ3