Increased Frequency of Human Leukocyte Antigen-E Inhibitory Receptor CD94/NKG2A-expressing Peritoneal Natural Killer Cells in Patients with Endometriosis

Objective: To analyze the frequency of peritoneal natural killer (NK) cells expressing the human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-E receptor CD94/NKG2A in patients with endometriosis.

Design: Case-control study.

Setting: University hospital.

Patient(s): Stage III and stage IV endometriosis, according to the revised American Society for Reproductive Medicine classification, was laparoscopically and histologically confirmed in 11 and 9 patients, respectively; 13 subjects without endometriosis were selected for the control group.

Intervention(s): Collection of peripheral venous blood, peritoneal fluid, endometriotic tissue, and normal endometrium in subjects undergoing laparoscopy.

Main Outcome Measure(s): Surface expression levels of CD94/NKG2A and CD94/NKG2C were detected by three-color cytofluorometric analysis. Semiquantitative HLA-E messenger RNA expression analysis was performed in endometriotic lesions and in eutopic endometrium. NK cell-mediated cytotoxic activity toward HLA-E positive target, DT360 cell line, was also determined.

Result(s): In women with endometriosis, the percentage of CD94/NKG2A-positive peritoneal NK cells was significantly higher than in the control group. The CD94/NKG2A ligand, HLA-E, was detected at high levels in endometriotic tissue as messenger RNA transcript. Target cells bearing HLA-E were resistant to NK cell-mediated lysis in a CD94/NKG2A-dependent manner.

Conclusion(s): Increased expression of CD94/NKG2A in peritoneal NK cells may mediate the resistance of endometriotic tissue to NK cell-mediated lysis, thus contributing to the progression of the disease.