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Updated: Dec 30, 2025

Isolation of Leukocytes from the Human Maternal-fetal Interface
Published on: May 21, 2015
Distinctive phenotypes and functions of innate lymphoid cells in human decidua during early pregnancy
Oisín Huhn1,2,3,4, Martin A Ivarsson4,5, Lucy Gardner4
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine, National Institute for Health Research Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, Cambridge, CB2 0SW, UK.
Abstract:
During early pregnancy, decidual innate lymphoid cells (dILCs) interact with surrounding maternal cells and invading fetal extravillous trophoblasts (EVT). Here, using mass cytometry, we characterise five main dILC subsets: decidual NK cells (dNK)1-3, ILC3s and proliferating NK cells. Following stimulation, dNK2 and dNK3 produce more chemokines than dNK1 including XCL1 which can act on both maternal dendritic cells and fetal EVT. In contrast, dNK1 express receptors including Killer-cell Immunoglobulin-like Receptors (KIR), indicating they respond to HLA class I ligands on EVT. Decidual NK have distinctive organisation and content of granules compared with peripheral blood NK cells. Acquisition of KIR correlates with higher granzyme B levels and increased chemokine production in response to KIR activation, suggesting a link between increased granule content and dNK1 responsiveness. Our analysis shows that dILCs are unique and provide specialised functions dedicated to achieving placental development and successful reproduction.
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