Cited by 101Reproductive System and PregnancyImmune Cell Function and InteractionReproductive Health and Contraception

Uterine NK cells regulate endometrial bleeding in women and are suppressed by the progesterone receptor modulator asoprisnil

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Wilkens, Julia, Male, Victoria, Ghazal, Peter, Forster, Thorsten, Gibson, Douglas A, Williams, Alistair R W, Brito-Mutunayagam, Savita L, Craigon, Marie +5 more·2013·The Journal of Immunology

Abstract

Uterine NK cells (uNK) play a role in the regulation of placentation, but their functions in nonpregnant endometrium are not understood. We have previously reported suppression of endometrial bleeding and alteration of spiral artery morphology in women exposed to asoprisnil, a progesterone receptor modulator. We now compare global endometrial gene expression in asoprisnil-treated versus control women, and we demonstrate a statistically significant reduction of genes in the IL-15 pathway, known to play a key role in uNK development and function. Suppression of IL-15 by asoprisnil was also observed at mRNA level (p < 0.05), and immunostaining for NK cell marker CD56 revealed a striking reduction of uNK in asoprisnil-treated endometrium (p < 0.001). IL-15 levels in normal endometrium are progesterone-responsive. Progesterone receptor (PR) positive stromal cells transcribe both IL-15 and IL-15RA. Thus, the response of stromal cells to progesterone will be to increase IL-15 trans-presentation to uNK, supporting their expansion and differentiation. In asoprisnil-treated endometrium, there is a marked downregulation of stromal PR expression and virtual absence of uNK. These novel findings indicate that the IL-15 pathway provides a missing link in the complex interplay among endometrial stromal cells, uNK, and spiral arteries affecting physiologic and pathologic endometrial bleeding.

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Authors
Wilkens, J., Male, V., Ghazal, P., Forster, T., Gibson, D. A., Williams, A. R. W., Brito-Mutunayagam, S. L., Craigon, M., Lourenco, P., Cameron, I. T., Chwalisz, K., Moffett, A., & Critchley, H. O. D.
Affiliations
  • MRC Centre for Reproductive Health (GB)
  • University of Cambridge (GB)
  • University of Edinburgh (GB)
  • University of Southampton (GB)
  • Abbott Laboratories , Abbott Park, IL 60064
Corresponding author
  • Wilkens, Julia
  • Lourenco, Paula
Venue
The Journal of Immunology
Published
2013-09-01
Volume
191
Issue
5
Pages
2226-2235
ISSN
  • 0022-1767 (ISSN-L)
  • 1550-6606
OpenAlex
W2120983951
Cited by
101
References
50
Citations by year
2026: 10 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 10 · 2023: 8 · 2022: 8 · 2021: 10 · 2020: 10 · 2019: 8 · 2018: 7 · 2017: 7 · 2016: 6 · 2015: 9 · 2014: 2
FWCI
3.13
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • The Journal of Immunology (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
  • ePrints Soton (University of Southampton) (acceptedVersion)
  • UCL Discovery (University College London) (submittedVersion)
  • ORCA Online Research @Cardiff (Cardiff University) (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • Wellcome Trust
  • British Heart Foundation
  • King's College London
  • Medical Research Council
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Immunology › Reproductive System and Pregnancy
  • Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Immunology › Immune Cell Function and Interaction
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Reproductive Health and Contraception
Keywords
uterine NK cells, endometrial bleeding, asoprisnil, progesterone receptor modulators, endometrial stromal cells, CD56, spiral arteries, endometrial gene expression, progesterone response, trans-presentation
MeSH terms
Double-Blind Method, Endometrium, Estrenes, Female, Humans, Immunohistochemistry, Killer Cells, Natural, Leiomyoma, Lymphocyte Activation, Oximes, Receptors, Progesterone, Uterine Neoplasms, Uterus, Interleukin-15, Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction, Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis, Transcriptome

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