Maternal activating KIRs protect against human reproductive failure mediated by fetal HLA-C2.

Journal article

Many common disorders of pregnancy are attributed to insufficient invasion of the uterine lining by trophoblast, fetal cells that are the major cell type of the placenta. Interactions between fetal trophoblast and maternal uterine NK (uNK) cells--specifically interactions between HLA-C molecules expressed by the fetal trophoblast cells and killer Ig-like receptors (KIRs) on the maternal uNK cells--influence placentation in human pregnancy. Consistent with this, pregnancies are at increased ri...

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Authors: Hiby, SE; Apps, R; Sharkey, A; Farrell, L; Gardner, L

• Publication status: Published
• Journal: Journal of clinical investigation
• Volume: 120
• Issue: 11
• Pages: 4102-4110
• Publication date: 2010-11-01
• DOI: 10.1172/jci43998
• EISSN: 1558-8238
• ISSN: 0021-9738
• Language: English
• Keywords: Protein Isoforms; Fetus; Placentation; HLA-C Antigens; Maternal-Fetal Relations; Abortion, Habitual; Receptors, KIR; Trophoblasts; Pre-Eclampsia; Pregnancy; Humans; Genotype; Female; Haplotypes; Killer Cells, Natural; Animals; Male; Pregnancy Complications