The Immunomodulatory Effects of Human Amniotic Epithelial Cells on Peripheral Blood Natural Killer T (NKT) Cells in Women with Unexplained Recurrent Spontaneous Abortion (URSA)

Unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortion (URSA) is the most common immunological complication during pregnancy. The evidence of in-vitro assays has shown that immune cells are responsible for embryotoxicity. In recent years, it has been found that cells such as human amnion epithelial cells (hAECs) have the potency to modulate immune responses in vitro and in vivo. This study aimed to investigate the immunomodulatory effects of human amnion epithelial cells on expression of CD107a marker on natural killer T (NKT) cells in the peripheral blood of the women with unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortion.
Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were obtained from 14 patients. After co-culture of human amnion epithelial cells with peripheral blood mononuclear cells, natural killer T cells were identified using anti-CD56 and anti-CD3 monoclonal antibodies (mAb); and the expression of CD107a marker on natural killer T cells was investigated using specific mAb analyzed by flow cytometry.
Findings: The expression of CD107a marker was significantly upregulated on natural killer T cells following incubation with human amnion epithelial cells (P = 0.031 in 1:1 ratio; P = 0.043 in 5:1 ratio).
Our results suggest human amnion epithelial cells have immune regulatory effects on activation and cytotoxicity of natural killer T cells. Potential therapeutic application of human amnion epithelial cells for dysregulated immunity of natural killer T cells in patients with recurrent spontaneous abortion should be investigated in the future.