Peripheral blood NK cells in patients with uterine scar and abnormally adherent and invasive placenta

This study analyzed for the first time cytotoxic activity of pNK cells in women with uterine scar and AAIP in comparison with pregnant women with uterine scar, but without placenta accreta and women with normal pregnancy without uterine scar. Low cytotoxic activity of NK cells in women with uterine scar without the signs of abnormal trophoblast invasion in comparison with normal pregnancy suggests that NK cell dysfunction plays and important role in the pathogenesis of placenta accreta.

Uterus damage as a result of previous cesarean section initiates morphological and functional changes in the uterine decidua. Relatively low cytotoxic activity of pNK cells in the group of women with uterine scar and without abnormal placental invasion is associated with the mechanism that prevents placenta accreta at the scar’s site. Thus, identification of women of risk group for developing AAIP with changes in the cytotoxic activity of NK cells is of interest to predict placenta accreta in early pregnancy.

Ponikarova N.Yu., Davydova A.A., Shelepova E.S., Osipova N.A., Sokolov D.I., Mikhailova V.A., Oganyan K.A., Selkov S.A., Zazerskaya I.E. Peripheral blood NK cells in patients with uterine scar and abnormally adherent and invasive placenta.