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Updated: Jul 2, 2026

Isolation of Leukocytes from the Human Maternal-fetal Interface
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Published on: May 21, 2015

NKT cells at the maternal-fetal interface

J E Boyson1, I Aktan, D A Barkhuff

  • 1Department of Surgery, University of Vermont College of Medicine, Burlington, Vermont 05405, USA. jboyson@uvm.edu

Immunological Investigations
|August 22, 2008
PubMed

Establishment of the maternal-fetal interface is characterized by the influx of maternal NK cells, macrophages, and T cells into the decidua. Although a great deal has been learned about the function of NK cells in the decidua, comparatively little is known of decidual T cell function. NKT cells are an unusual T cell subset capable of producing both Th1-like and Th2-like cytokines. Unlike conventional alphabeta T cells that recognize peptides in the context of MHC molecules, NKT cells recognize glycolipids presented by the MHC class I-like molecule, CD1d. Recent reports have demonstrated that NKT cells and CD1d are present at the maternal-fetal interface. Moreover, activation of NKT cells can have dramatic effects on pregnancy. In this article, we will review basic aspects of NKT cell biology and summarize the recent literature on NKT cells at the maternal-fetal interface.

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