Maternal KIR Repertoire and KIR/HLA-C Recognition Model in Early Pregnancy and Implantation Failure

Issue title: Maternal-fetal immune interactions

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Keramitsoglou, T.^; | Dempegioti, F. | Dinou, A.^; | Spyropoulou-Vlachou, M.^; | LeBouteiller, P.^; | Varla-Leftherioti, M.^;

Affiliations: Immunobiology Department, “Helena Venizelou” Hospital, Athens, Greece | 3rd OB/GYN Department, “Helena Venizelou” Hospital, Athens, Greece | National Tissue Typing Center, “G. Gennimatas” Hospital, Athens, Greece | INSERM, Toulouse, France | Embryo Implantation Control Network

Note: [] Correspondence to: Marighoula Varla-Leftherioti, “Helena Venizelou” Hospital, Immunobiology Dept, 2 Helen's Venizelou Sq, 11521 Athens, Greece. E-mail: gr1bmdr@hol.gr

Abstract: In the frame of EMBIC study, maternal KIR and trophoblastic HLA-C matching was estimated in 39 randomly selected cases of women who were undergoing vacuum uterine curettage for therapeutic termination of first trimester missed pregnancy (Group A = 19) or elective termination of normal pregnancy (Group C = 20). DNA from decidual cells was used for maternal KIR genotyping by Luminex, while DNA from trophoblastic cells was used for foetal HLA C typing by PCR-SSP. HLA-C alleles were grouped as C1 and C2. According to the results, the women in group A were found to possess fewer inhibitory KIR genes than the women in group C (31.6% of A women had all 3 inhKIR -2DL1, 2DL2, 2DL3- receptors vs. 80% of the Controls), while no differences were found in the number of actKIR genes detected in the two groups. The inhKIR2DL1 was statistically significant decreased in group A compared to the controls (p = 0.0043). The percentage of cases possessing the KIR2DL1-C2 combination, which is associated with increased inhibition, was found to be lower in group A in comparison to group C, while the combination KIR2DL3-C1, which is associated with increased activation, was found in higher percentage in group A than in controls. Our findings support the suggestion that uNK cells of women predisposed to miscarriage may have a higher activating potential and that both inhibitory and activating KIR receptors on uNK cells are important for the maintenance of pregnancy.

Keywords: KIR, HLA-C, abortion, pregnancy, KIR2DL, KIR2DS

DOI: 10.3233/NIB-2011-022

Journal: Advances in Neuroimmune Biology, vol. 2, no. 1-2, pp. 99-103, 2011