DECREASE IN THE PROPORTION OF GRANULATED CD56-CELLS IN PATIENTS WITH A HISTORY OF RECURRENT ABORTION( T)

We investigated levels of CD56 + T-cells (CD3 + CD56 + cells) in perip heral circulation, which express one of the natural killer (NK) cell m arkers, by flow cytometry and with monoclonal antibodies in patients w ith a history of recurrent abortion. We compared these values with tho se obtained in normal women who were not pregnant as well as in normal pregnant subjects. The percentage of CD56 + T-cells in the peripheral blood of patients with a history of recurrent abortion was less than that in the non-pregnant or pregnant women. These results suggest that CD56 + T-cells with extrathymic properties may be associated with the maintenance of normal pregnancy in humans (C) 1998 Elsevier Science I reland Ltd. All rights reserved.