Expression profiles of peripheral CD160+ lymphocytes during the course of healthy human pregnancy.

Problem: CD160 receptor is expressed by natural killer (NK) and T-cell subsets, and after activation, it could enhance cytotoxicity or pro-inflammatory cytokine production on NK cells. Here, we investigated the phenotype of peripheral CD160+ cells during healthy pregnancy.

Method Of Study: We analyzed the expression of CD69 activation marker, gamma/delta TCR, and NKG2A or NKG2D NK cell receptors on CD160+ lymphocytes of non-pregnant and healthy pregnant women at four different stages of pregnancy by flow cytometry.

Results: In our hands, CD160 receptor-positive lymphocytes were present during pregnancy; however, they had different characteristics depending on gestational age. During implantation, CD160+ cells showed low activation rate, decreased NK receptor expression while 40% of Vδ2 + T cells expressed CD160 receptor. In turn, all the above parameters increased as pregnancy proceeds.

Conclusion: Our results indicate that CD160+ lymphocytes could be able to play a role in the maintenance of healthy pregnancy.