Comparison of NK cell immunophenotypes and Th1/Th2 immunity between uterine basal decidua and peripheral blood in human term pregnancy

NK cells and Th1/Th2 immunity play an important part in the pregnancy immune. In order to investigate the immune state in maternal-fetal interface and peripheral blood in human normal term pregnancy, the number of NK cell subsets, NK cell receptors: CD69, CD94 and Th1/Th2 immunity in basal decidua and peripheral blood were determined in 10 cases of normal term pregnancies by flow cytometric analysis. We found that the percentage of CD56(bright)CD16(-)uNK cells in decidua was (18.72 +/- 17.73) %, CD56(+)CD69(+) uNK cells was (34.98 +/- 19.79) %, CD56(bright)CD94(+) uNK cells was (15.94 +/- 13.19) % and the ratio of CD56(+) CD16(-)/CD56(+) CD16(+) was (2.30 +/- 2.25), CD56(+) CD69(+)/CD56(+) CD94(+) was (1.21 +/- 0.66), and the percentage of CD56(bright)CD16(-)NK cells in peripheral blood was (0.28 +/- 0.18) %, CD56(+) CD69(+) NK cells was (3.33 +/- 1.27) %, CD56(bright) CD94(+) NK cells was (1.17 +/- 1.19) % and the ratio of CD56(+) CD16(-)/CD56(+) CD16(+) was (0.34 +/- 0.28), CD56(+) CD69(+)/CD56(+) CD94(+) was (0.28 +/- 0.12), there were statistical differences between in basal decidua and peripheral blood (p < 0.01); While the number of Th1, Th2, Tc1 cells and the Th1/Th2, Tc1/Tc2 ratio had no statistical difference(P > 0.05); the proportion of NK cell subsets, NK cell receptors: CD69, CD94 and Th1/Th2 immunity in basal decidua were not correlated with those in peripheral blood (p > 0.05). So the presentation of activated NK cells and T cells are involved in the mechanism of immune tolerance of pregnancy, the immunity of NK cells and T cells in basal decidua is independent of that of systematic immunity.