INTERLEUKIN-8 PRODUCTION BY CD16-CD56(BRIGHT) NATURAL-KILLER-CELLS IN THE HUMAN EARLY-PREGNANCY DECIDUA

Decidual CD16(-)CD56(bright) natural killer (NK) cells were sorted from the decidual mononuclear cells (MNC) at the early pregnancy using a fluorescence activated cell sorter. The CD16(-)CD56(bright) NK cell population occupies a major population in the decidual MNC, in contrast to a very small population (<1%) in the peripheral blood MNC. These decidual CD16(-)CD56(bright) NK cells produced a large amount of IL-8, i.e., mean of 96.7+/-19.8 ng/ml in the 24 hr-cultured supernatants without any stimulant, which was comparable to the IL-8 production by LPS-stimulated peripheral blood MNC. Most of the IL-8 was ascribable to the production from decidual CD16(-)CD56(bright) NK cells. Intracytoplasmic IL-8 in the decidual CD56(bright) NK cells was also detected by flow cytometry. RT-PCR methods confirmed IL-8 mRNA expression in this population, while no or very scarce expression of IL-1 alpha and IL-1 beta mRNA was observed. The present study is a first observation revealing that decidual CD16(-)CD56(bright) NK cells express IL-8 mRNA and produce IL-8. (C) 1994 Academic Press, Inc.