Analysis of uterine CD49a+ NK cell subsets in menstrual blood reflects endometrial status and association with recurrent spontaneous abortion.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Tong X
PROVIDER: S-EPMC8245401 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jul
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Publications
Analysis of uterine CD49a<sup>+</sup> NK cell subsets in menstrual blood reflects endometrial status and association with recurrent spontaneous abortion.
Tong Xianhong X Gao Min M Du Xianghui X Lu Fangting F Wu Limin L Wei Haiming H Fu Binqing B
Cellular & molecular immunology 20210517 7
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Project description:CD49a+ natural killer (NK) cells play a critical role in promoting fetal development and maintaining immune tolerance at the maternal-fetal interface during the early stages of pregnancy. However, given their residency in human tissue, thorough studies and clinical applications are difficult to perform. It is still unclear as to how functional human CD49a+ NK cells can be induced to benefit pregnancy outcomes. In this study, we established three no-feeder cell induction systems to induce human CD49a+ NK cells from umbilical cord blood hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), bone marrow HSCs, and peripheral blood NK cells in vitro. These induced NK cells (iNKs) from three cell induction systems display high levels of CD49a, CD9, CD39, CD151 expression, low levels of CD16 expression, and no obvious cytotoxic capability. They are phenotypically and functionally similar to decidual NK cells. Furthermore, these iNKs display a high expression of growth-promoting factors and proangiogenic factors and can promote fetal growth and improve uterine artery blood flow in a murine pregnancy model in vivo. This research demonstrates the ability of human-induced CD49a+ NK cells to promote fetal growth via three cell induction systems, which could eventually be used to treat patients experiencing adverse pregnancy outcomes.
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Project description:Menstruation is a physiological process that is typically uncomplicated. However, up to one third of women globally will be affected by abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB) at some point in their reproductive years. Menstruation (that is, endometrial shedding) is a fine balance between proliferation, decidualization, inflammation, hypoxia, apoptosis, haemostasis, vasoconstriction and, finally, repair and regeneration. An imbalance in any one of these processes can lead to the abnormal endometrial phenotype of AUB. Poor menstrual health has a negative impact on a person's physical, mental, social, emotional and financial well-being. On a global scale, iron deficiency and iron deficiency anaemia are closely linked with AUB, and are often under-reported and under-recognized. The International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics have produced standardized terminology and a classification system for the causes of AUB. This standardization will facilitate future research endeavours, diagnosis and clinical management. In a field where no new medications have been developed for over 20 years, emerging technologies are paving the way for a deeper understanding of the biology of the endometrium in health and disease, as well as opening up novel diagnostic and management avenues.
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Project description:CD49a+ tissue resident NK cells have been implicated in memory-like NK cell responses, but while this population is well-characterized in mice and in humans, they are poorly described in non-human primates (NHP) which are particularly critical for modeling human viral infections. Others and we have shown that memory-like NK cells are enriched in the liver and because of the importance of NHP in modeling HIV infection, understanding the immunobiology of CD49a+ NK cells in SIV-infected rhesus macaques is critical to explore the role of this cell type in retroviral infections. In this study mononuclear cells isolated from livers, spleens, and peripheral whole blood were analyzed in acutely and chronically lentivirus-infected and experimentally-naïve Indian rhesus macaques (RM). NK cells were then identified as CD45+CD14-CD20-CD3-NKG2A/C+ cells and characterized using multiparametric flow-cytometry. Our data show that in RM, CD49a+ NK cells increase in the liver following retroviral infections [median = 5.2% (naïve) vs. median = 9.48% (SIV+) or median = 16.8% (SHIV+)]. In contrast, there is little change in CD49a+ NK frequencies in whole blood or spleens of matched animals. In agreement with human and murine data we also observed that CD49a+ NK cells were predominantly Eomeslow T-betlow, though these frequencies are elevated in infected animal cohorts. Functionally, our data suggests that infection alters TNF-α, IFN-γ, and CD107a expression in stimulated CD49a+ NK cells. Specifically, our analyses found a decrease in CD49a+ CD107a+ TNFα+ IFNγ- NK cells, with a simultaneous increase in CD49a+ CD107a+ TNFα- IFNγ+ NK cells and the non-responsive CD49a+ CD107a- TNFα- IFNγ- NK cell population following infection, suggesting both pathogenic and inflammatory changes in the NK cell functional profile. Our data also identified significant global differences in polyfunctionality between CD49a+ NK cells in the naïve and chronic (SHIV+) cohorts. Our work provides the first characterization of CD49a+ NK cells in tissues from RM. The significant similarities between CD49a+ NK cells from RM and what is reported from human samples justifies the importance of studying CD49a+ NK cells in this species to support preclinical animal model research.
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Project description:Purified NK cells from human liver tissues were first enriched by MACS using NK Cell Isolation Kit (Miltenyi Biotec, German) and CD49a+/- hepatic NK cells were isolated by FACS Aria cell sorter (BD Biosciences, United States) to attain a purity greater than 95%.
2020-07-07 | GSE109198 | GEO
Project description:Recruitment of innate immune effector cells into sites of infection is a critical component of resistance to pathogen infection. Using a model of intradermal footpad injection of Candida albicans, we observed that inflammation as measured by footpad thickness and neutrophil recruitment occurred independent of adoptive immunity but was significantly reduced in MyD88(-/-) and IL-6(-/-) mice. Unexpectedly, huLangerin-DTA mice (ΔLC) that lack Langerhans cells (LC) developed increased skin inflammation and expressed higher amounts of IL-6, suggesting a suppressive role for LC. Increased inflammation also occurred in Rag1(-/-) ΔLC mice but was reversed by Ab-mediated ablation of NK cells. CXCR6(+)CD49a(+) NK cells are a liver-resident subset that can mediate inflammatory skin responses. We found that exaggerated skin inflammation was absent in ΔLC × CXCR6(-/-) mice. Moreover, the exaggerated response in ΔLC mice could be adoptively transferred with liver CD49a(+) NK cells. Finally, CD49a(+) NK cells in ΔLC but not control mice were recruited to the skin, and inhibition of their recruitment prevented the exaggerated response. Thus, in the absence of LC, CD49a(+) liver NK cells display an inappropriately proinflammatory phenotype that results in increased local skin inflammation. These data reveal a novel function for LC in the regulation of this recently described subset of skin tropic NK cells.
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Project description:Deficiency in decidualization has been widely regarded as an important cause of spontaneous abortion. Generalized decidualization also includes massive infiltration and enrichment of NK cells. However, the underlying mechanism of decidual NK (dNK) cell residence remains largely unknown. Here, we observe that the increased macroautophagy/autophagy of decidual stromal cells (DSCs) during decidualization, facilitates the adhesion and retention of dNK cells during normal pregnancy. Mechanistically, this process is mediated through activation of the MITF-TNFRSF14/HVEM signaling, and further upregulation of multiple adhesion adhesions (e.g. Selectins and ICAMs) in a MMP9-dependent manner. Patients with unexplained spontaneous abortion display insufficient DSC autophagy and dNK cell residence. In addition, poor vascular remodeling of placenta, low implantation number and high ratio of embryo loss are observed in NK cell depletion mice. In therapeutic studies, low doses of rapamycin, a known autophagy inducer that significantly promotes endometrium autophagy and NK cell residence, and improves embryo absorption in spontaneous abortion mice models, which should be dependent on the activation of MITF-TNFRSF14/HVEM-MMP9-adhension molecules axis. This observation reveals novel molecular mechanisms underlying DSCs autophagy-driven dNK cell residence, and provides a potential therapeutic strategy to prevent spontaneous abortion.Abbreviations: ACTA2/αSMA: actin alpha 2, smooth muscle; ATG: autophagy-related; ATG5over ESC: ATG5-overexpressed ESCs; BTLA: B and T lymphocyte associated; CDH1: cadherin 1; CDH5: cadherin 5; CXCL12: C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 12; dNK: decidual NK; DIC: decidual immune cell; DSC: decidual stromal cell; EOMES: eomesodermin; ESC: endometrial stromal cell; FCGR3A/CD16: Fc fragment of IgG receptor IIIa; HUVEC: human umbilical vein endothelial cell; ICAM: intercellular cell adhesion molecule; ILC: innate lymphoid cell; ITGB1: integrin subunit beta 1; ITGA2: integrin subunit alpha 2; IPA: Ingenuity Pathway Analysis; KIR2DL1: killer cell immunoglobulin like receptor, two Ig domains and long cytoplasmic tail 1; KLRD1/CD94: killer cell lectin like receptor D1; KLRK1/NKG2D: killer cell lectin like receptor K1; MAP1LC3B/LC3B: microtubule associated protein 1 light chain 3 beta; 3-MA: 3-methyladenine; MITF: melanocyte inducing transcription factor; MiT-TFE: microphthalmia family of bHLH-LZ transcription factors; MMP9: matrix metalloproteinase 9; MTOR: mechanistic target of rapamycin kinase; NCAM1/CD56: neural cell adhesion molecule 1; NCR2/NKp44: natural cytotoxicity triggering receptor 2; NK: natural killer; KLRB1/NK1.1: killer cell lectin like receptor B1; NP: normal pregnancy; PBMC: peripheral blood mononuclear cell; PECAM1/CD31: platelet and endothelial cell adhesion molecule 1; pNK: peripheral blood NK; PRF1/Perforin: Perforin 1; PTPRC/CD45: protein tyrosine phosphatase receptor type C; Rapa: rapamycin; rh-TNFSF14/LIGHT: recombinant human TNFSF14/LIGHT; SA: spontaneous abortion; SELE: selectin E; SELP: selectin P; SELL: selectin L; siATG5 DSCs: ATG5-silenced DSCs; siTNFRSF14/HVEM DSCs: TNFRSF14/HVEM-silenced DSCs; TBX21/T-bet: T-box transcription factor 21; SQSTM1/p62: sequestosome 1; TNFRSF14/HVEM: TNF receptor superfamily member 14; TNFSF14/LIGHT: TNF superfamily member 14; uNK: uterine NK; UIC: uterine immune cell; USC: uterine stromal cell; VCAM1: vascular cell adhesion molecule 1; VIM: vimentin.
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Project description:Currently, the precise causes of over 40 % of recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA) cases cannot be identified, leading to the term "unexplained RSA" (URSA). Through an exploration of the gut microbiota, metabolites, and immune cell subsets in URSA, this study establishes a link between gut microbiota-derived metabolites and immune cells. The results indicate reduced diversity in the gut microbiota of URSA. Targeted metabolomic analyses reveal decreased levels of gut microbiota-derived deoxycholic acid (DCA), glycolithocholic acid (GLCA), acetate, propionate, and butyrate in URSA. Furthermore, elevated frequencies of Th1, Th17, and plasma B cells, along with decreased frequencies of Tregs and Bregs, are observed in the peripheral blood of URSA. The results demonstrate correlations between the levels of gut microbiota-derived bile acids and short-chain fatty acids and the frequencies of various immune cell subsets in circulation. Collectively, this study uncovers an association between gut microbiota-derived metabolites and circulating immune cell subsets in URSA.
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Project description:Uterine natural killer cells (uNK) play an important role in promoting successful pregnancy by regulating trophoblast invasion and spiral artery remodelling in the first trimester. Recently, single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNAseq) on first-trimester decidua showed that uNK can be divided into three subsets, which may have different roles in pregnancy. Here we present an integration of previously published scRNAseq datasets, together with novel flow cytometry data to interrogate the frequency, phenotype, and function of uNK1-3 in seven stages of the reproductive cycle (menstrual, proliferative, secretory phases of the menstrual cycle; first, second, and third trimester; and postpartum). We found that uNK1 and uNK2 peak in the first trimester, but by the third trimester, the majority of uNK are uNK3. All three subsets are most able to degranulate and produce cytokines during the secretory phase of the menstrual cycle and express KIR2D molecules, which allow them to interact with HLA-C expressed by placental extravillous trophoblast cells, at the highest frequency during the first trimester. Taken together, our findings suggest that uNK are particularly active and able to interact with placental cells at the time of implantation and that uNK1 and uNK2 may be particularly involved in these processes. Our findings are the first to establish how uNK frequency and function change dynamically across the healthy reproductive cycle. This serves as a platform from which the relationship between uNK function and impaired implantation and placentation can be investigated. This will have important implications for the study of subfertility, recurrent miscarriage, pre-eclampsia, and pre-term labour.
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Project description:Cellular senescence of human endometrial stromal cells (HESCs) is one of the important mechanisms underlying RSA. We have demonstrated that CBLL1 overexpression promoted HESCs senescence and knockout of CBLL1 alleviated cellular senescence induced by oxidative inducers. Transcriptomic sequencing results and further research revealed PTEN as one of the important downstream target genes of CBLL1, and upregulation of CBLL1 led to downregulation of PTEN. Knockdown of PTEN promoted HESCs senescence, elevated oxidative stress, and inhibited proliferation. CBLL1 overexpression induced-cellular senescence was rescued by overexpression of PTEN. In vivo experiments demonstrated that overexpression of CBLL1 in the endometrium significantly increased the embryo absorption rate in mice. In conclusion, our findings discovered that elevated CBLL1 expression is a significant contributor to RSA, and its mechanism may be related to the elevation of CBLL1 leading to a decrease in PTEN, resulting in the senescence of HESCs. This finding could provide new avenues for treatment of RSA.
2024-07-14 | GSE263574 | GEO
Project description:NK cells and macrophages constitute the predominant immune cell subsets in the decidua during the first trimester of pregnancy, with macrophages typically adopting an anti-inflammatory phenotype. Conversely, in the third trimester, macrophages undergo a shift towards a pro-inflammatory phenotype concurrent with a reduction in NK cell numbers. The direct regulatory impact of NK cells on macrophage phenotype remains poorly explored. In our investigation, we observed that ICAM1+ macrophages stimulate the expression of intracellular C3 in LFA1+ decidual NK cells. Notably, Cathepsin W within NK cells exhibit the potential to generate active C3b fragments, effectively inhibit the proinflammatory phenotype of macrophages by binding to VSIG4. Our study unveils a direct regulatory mechanism orchestrated by decidual NK cells over macrophages, providing a potential pathogenic explanation for recurrent spontaneous abortion.
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