Immunophenotypic characteristics of uterinenatural killer cells and helper T cell 1/ helper T cell 2 immunity in the third trimester decidua of preeclampsia patients / 中华妇产科杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To investigate immunophenotypic characteristics of uterine natural killer (uNK)cells and helper T cell 1/helper T cell 2(Th1/Th2)immunity in third trimester decidua in preeclampsia.Methods The proportions of uNK cell subsets,expression of CD_(69)and CD_(94)on uNK cells and Th1/Th2 immunity in decidua were determined in 20 cases of preeclampsia patients and 11 cases of normal term pregnancies by flow cytometric analysis.Results The percentage of CD_(56)~(bright)CD_(16)~-uNK cell subset in preeclampsia patients and the controls was(17.3?11.1)% vs(17.9?16.8)%,that of CD_(56)~(dim) CD_(16)~+uNK cell subset was(16.3?8.7)% vs(16.2?8.8)%;that of CD_(56)~+CD_(69)~+uNK cells was(37.9 ?18.9)% vs(36.8?19.7)%,that of CD_(56)~+CD_(94)~+uNK cells was(34.9?15.2)% vs(32.7?16.2)% and the ratio of CD_(56)~+CD_(69)~+/CD_(56)~+CD_(94)~+was 1.1?0.2,1.2?0.6.No statistical difference was shown in the above values between the preeclampsia patients and controls.The percentage of cytoto xic T cell(Tc)2 cells was significantly lower in the decidua of preeclampsia patients [(3.0?1.0)% vs(4.3?0.9)%,P= 0.001 ],and the ratio of Tc1/Tc2 in preeclampsia patients was significantly higher than that of normal term pregnancies(17.8?3.4 vs 11.8?4.6;P=0.001);the ratio of Th1/Th2 was increased(15.1?2.4 vs 13.2?3.1;P=0.06).Conclusions The immunophenotypie characteristics of uNK cells do not present any significant change in preeclampsia patients.Owing to Tc2 cell decrease,the Th1/Th2 immunity shifts to Th1 type immunity in the decidua,which might contribute to the pathogenesis of preeclampsia.