Analysis of cytokine regulators inducing interferon production by XXXX uterine natural killer cells.

@entity1 @entity12782 @entity55232 @entity6026 @entity14293 @entity19 @entity60 @entity22385
In @entity19 and @entity1 , terminal differentiation of uterine natural killer (uNK) cells commences during endometrial decidualization. Both proliferation and @entity60 are induced. Uterine NK cell precursors appear to home from secondary lymphoid organs to decidualizing uteri and localize mesometrially to the central decidua basalis, the site of maternal arterial modification at Gestation Days (gd) 9.5-10. In @entity19 , genetic absence of uNK cells results in absence of pregnancy-induced spiral artery modification. Administration of @entity60 to uNK-negative pregnant females induces arterial modifications without fetal loss. In this study, we investigated the roles of cytokines, known in other tissues to differentiate and activate NK cells, in induction of @entity60 production in normal @entity19 implantation sites. Fecundity evaluation, implantation site morphometry, and @entity60 quantification in interleukin (IL)-12p40(0/0), @entity6026 (0/0), dual @entity12782 (0/0)/ @entity6026 (0/0) and congenic strains revealed the importance of both IL-12 and @entity6026 in the induction of spiral artery modification and @entity60 synthesis. Immediately after implantation, @entity6026 was localized transiently to decidual cells, but by gd8, @entity6026 was produced solely by uNK cells, suggesting that early uNK cells are activated by stroma and lymphocyte-derived signals maintain later uNK cell activation. Mesometrial tissue of C57Bl/6J @entity19 was examined by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction assay in virgin, early postimplantation, and midgestation females for expression of the heterodimeric cytokines IL-23 (composed of @entity12782 and a novel alpha chain), @entity22385 (composed of two IL-12-related chains) and @entity55232 . No expression was detected in virgin uteri. The four genes were induced by gd6, and uNK cells isolated from midgestation transcribed @entity14293 and @entity55232 . This study advances the understanding of uNK cell activation during normal pregnancy.
