Natural killer (NK) cell activity of first trimester human decidua

The NK cell functional capacity of first trimester human decidua against K562 targets was assessed in a 3-hr CRA. Collagenase dispersal combined with plastic adherence, nylon wool passage, and density gradient centrifugation yielded NKH-1 (Leu 19) positive enriched decidual large granular lymphocyte fraction (mean 75% positive). Decidual effectors displayed reduced lytic activity compared with autologous PB effectors at every effector:target ratio but this difference in cytotoxicity was abolished by short-term culture before the CRA. Decidual effectors treated with 50 units rIL-2 showed increased lytic activity compared to untreated decidual cells. By FACS analysis the majority of NKH-1 positive decidual effectors were CD3 and CD16 negative which corresponds with a minority PB NK population. The implications of a population of functional NK cells in early pregnancy decidua for the materno-fetal relationship is discussed.