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Composition, Development, and Function of Uterine Innate Lymphoid Cells.


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Authors

Doisne, Jean-Marc 
Balmas, Elisa 
Boulenouar, Selma 
Gaynor, Louise M 
Kieckbusch, Jens 

Abstract

Innate lymphoid cells (ILCs), including NK cells, contribute to barrier immunity and tissue homeostasis. In addition to the role of uterine NK cells in placentation and fetal growth, other uterine ILCs (uILCs) are likely to play roles in uterine physiology and pathology. In this article, we report on the composition of uILCs in the endometrium during the luteal phase and in the decidua during early pregnancy. Whereas nonkiller uILC1s and uILC2s are barely detectable in mouse and not detected in humans, a sizeable population of uILC3s is found in human endometrium and decidua, which are mostly NCR(+) and partially overlap with previously described IL-22-producing uterine NK cells. Development of mouse uILC3 is Nfil3 independent, suggesting unique features of uILCs. Indeed, although the cytokine production profile of mouse uILCs recapitulates that described in other tissues, IL-5, IL-17, and IL-22 are constitutively produced by uILC2s and uILC3s. This study lays the foundation to understand how ILCs function in the specialized uterine mucosa, both in tissue homeostasis and barrier immunity and during pregnancy.

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Keywords

Adult, Animals, Cytokines, Endometrium, Female, Humans, Lymphocytes, Mice, Pregnancy

Journal Title

J Immunol

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

0022-1767
1550-6606

Volume Title

195

Publisher

The American Association of Immunologists
Sponsorship
British Heart Foundation (None)
Medical Research Council (G0900101)
Wellcome Trust (094073/Z/10/Z)
British Heart Foundation (None)
Work supported by grants from the Wellcome Trust, the Medical Research Council, the British Heart Foundation and the Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research to FC. EB is the recipient of a Centre for Trophoblast Research Graduate Studentship. SB is the recipient of a Marie Curie FP7 Fellowship.