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Mol. Hum. Reprod. Advance Access originally published online on May 21, 2004
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Molecular Human Reproduction, Vol. 10, No. 7, pp. 513-520, 2004
Molecular Human Reproduction vol. 10 no. 7 © European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology 2004; all rights reserved

Hormonal stimulation for IVF treatment positively affects the CD56bright/CD56dim NK cell ratio of the endometrium during the window of implantation

H.G.M. Lukassen1, I. Joosten2, B. van Cranenbroek2, M.J.C. van Lierop3, J. Bulten4, D.D.M. Braat1 and A. van der Meer5

1Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology of the University Medical Center Nijmegen, The Netherlands 2Department of Blood Transfusion and Transplantation Immmunology of the University Medical Center Nijmegen, The Netherlands 3Department of Pharmacology, NV Organon, Oss, The Netherlands 4Department of Pathology of the University Medical Center Nijmegen, The Netherlands

5 To whom correspondence should be addressed at: Department of Blood transfusion and Transplantation Immunology (603), PO Box 9101, 6500 HB Nijeger, The Netherlands.; Email: a.vandermeer{at}abti.umcn.nl

The effects of hormone stimulation for IVF treatment on endometrial receptivity remain controversial. Since CD56bright natural killer (NK) cells in the endometrium positively contribute to implantation and decidualization whereas CD56dim NK cells are negatively associated with reproduction, shifts in the balance between those cells will affect receptivity. Therefore, we compared the leukocyte composition in the endometrium of IVF women with non-pregnant women in a natural cycle, as a parameter for endometrial quality. Biopsies were obtained 7 days after ovulation. Histological dating of the endometrium showed no increased endometrial advancement after IVF treatment as compared to the control group. Flow cytometric analysis of leukocyte subsets showed that hormonal stimulation positively affected the CD56bright/CD56dim ratio in the endometrium by a relative decrease in the cytotoxic CD56dimCD16+ NK cell numbers. The relative number of T-cells remained unaffected, while the number of non-T and non-NK cells (i.e. B-cells and macrophages) was higher in the IVF group. These effects were restricted to the endometrium and not observed in peripheral blood. Within the CD56bright population we could identify a distinct subset of NK cells (CD56superbright) that was unique for the endometrium. We conclude that hormonal stimulation for IVF treatment positively affects the CD56bright/CD56dim ratio of the endometrium during the window of implantation and does not affect endometrial advancement.

Key words: CD56/endometrium/IVF/NK cells


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