Immunology of implantation

During implantation, the uterine decidua is invaded by extravillous trophoblast (EVT) cells whose function is to destroy the walls of the uterine spiral arteries in order to provide an adequate blood flow to the fetus. These EVT cells express an unusual combination of HLA class I molecules - HLA-C, HLA-E and HLA-C. The decidua is infiltrated by a population of natural killer (NK) cells with a distinctive phenotype of CD56(bright) CD16(-) CD3(-). These cells are particularly numerous in the decidua basalis at the implantation site where they come into close contact with invading EVT cells. These NK cells express a variety of receptors (CD94/NKG2, KIR and ILT) which are known to recognize HLA class I molecules. We believe that interaction between these NK cells and EVT cells provides the controlling influence for implantation.