PMID- 10690798
OWN - NLM
STAT- MEDLINE
DCOM- 20000308
LR  - 20190513
IS  - 0268-1161 (Print)
IS  - 0268-1161 (Linking)
VI  - 14 Suppl 2
DP  - 1999 Dec
TI  - Immunological aspects of implantation and implantation failure.
PG  - 26-36
AB  - The human endometrium contains a significant proportion of leukocytes (8-35% of 
      all cells), the absolute numbers and proportions varying during both the 
      menstrual cycle and early in pregnancy. T cells, macrophages and a population of 
      phenotypically unusual large granular lymphocytes (LGL) are commonly present, 
      although B cells are absent. Relative T cell numbers decrease significantly in 
      first trimester decidua, and hence are unlikely to play an important role in 
      maintenance of human pregnancy, but T cells could be important in implantation 
      where their relative numbers are greater. In addition to producing cytokines, 
      local tissue macrophages may provide an immediate antigen non-specific host 
      defence to infection. Most attention has, nevertheless, focused on a role for LGL 
      in implantation and maintenance of pregnancy since, at the time of implantation, 
      LGL comprise 70-80% of the total endometrial leukocyte population. Although 
      endometrial LGL have been shown to express natural killer (NK) cell-type 
      cytotoxicity against classical NK cell targets, such cytotoxicity against 
      trophoblast is induced only after activation by interleukin (IL)-2. Selective 
      expression of the unusual class I human leukocyte antigen (HLA) molecule, HLA-G, 
      by extravillous cytotrophoblast may assist in protecting invasive cytotrophoblast 
      from potential maternal NK cell attack, probably via interactions with killer 
      inhibitory receptor molecules on LGL. Many cytokines have been demonstrated to be 
      expressed at the maternal-fetal interface although, currently, in mice only two 
      (IL-11 and leukaemia inhibitory factor) appear to be absolutely essential for 
      successful pregnancy outcome. Immune effector cells and cytokines may also play a 
      role in human pregnancy pathologies, such as recurrent early pregnancy loss.
FAU - Johnson, P M
AU  - Johnson PM
AD  - Department of Immunology, University of Liverpool, UK.
FAU - Christmas, S E
AU  - Christmas SE
FAU - Vince, G S
AU  - Vince GS
LA  - eng
PT  - Journal Article
PT  - Review
PL  - England
TA  - Hum Reprod
JT  - Human reproduction (Oxford, England)
JID - 8701199
RN  - 0 (Cytokines)
SB  - IM
MH  - Animals
MH  - Cytokines/physiology
MH  - Decidua/cytology
MH  - Embryo Implantation/*immunology
MH  - Female
MH  - Genitalia, Female/immunology
MH  - Humans
MH  - Leukocytes/physiology
MH  - Mucous Membrane/immunology
MH  - Pregnancy
MH  - T-Lymphocytes/immunology
RF  - 94
EDAT- 2000/02/26 09:00
MHDA- 2000/03/11 09:00
CRDT- 2000/02/26 09:00
PHST- 2000/02/26 09:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 2000/03/11 09:00 [medline]
PHST- 2000/02/26 09:00 [entrez]
AID - 10.1093/humrep/14.suppl_2.26 [doi]
PST - ppublish
SO  - Hum Reprod. 1999 Dec;14 Suppl 2:26-36. doi: 10.1093/humrep/14.suppl_2.26.