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Comparative phenotypic analysis of CD160+ and CD160- human decidual NK cells

Problem: In human peripheral blood (PB), CD56dim NK cells predominate and are mostly cytolytic, whereas the major NK cell subset present in the decidua is CD56bright and is mostly cytokine producer. CD160 is an activating NK receptor mostly present on CD56dim PB-NK cells and triggering both cytotoxicity and a unique cytokine secretion. A minor decidual (d) NK cell subset does express CD160. Our goal was to define the phenotype of both CD160+ and CD160- dNK cells and make comparison with their PB-NK cells counterparts. Method of Study: NK cells were purified from PB and decidua basalis (first trimester pregnancy), using MACS negative selection. Phenotypes were defined by multicolor flow cytometry analysis, using a panel of mAbs labeled with FITC, PE, APC or PECy7. Results: We found that CD160 is only expressed by the CD56dim dNK cell minor subset. We thus selected both CD3-/CD56dim/CD160+ and CD3-/CD56bright/CD160- dNK subpopulations and define their respective phenotypes. Expression of NKp30, NKp44, NKp46, NKG2D, CD16, CD244, and NKG2C activating receptors, as well as of KIR2DL1, KIR2DL2/3, KIR3DL1, KIR3DL2, KIR2DL4, NKG2A, and ILT2 inhibitory receptors was analyzed. Preliminary results showed a number of differences in particular for the ILT2 distribution. Conclusions: Functional consequences in term of cytokine secretion and cytotoxic potential will now be evaluated on each of these dNK subsets.

Peripheral blood; NK cells; cytotoxicity; dNK

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