Uterine Natural Killer cells are the major lymphocyte population in the pregnant uterus in early gestation; outnumbering both T and B cells. The numerical expansion of uterine Natural Killer cells is thought to result from the expansion of preexisting progenitor cells resident to the uterus, recruitment of Natural Killer cells from the circulation, or a combination of both pathways. Uterine Natural Killer cells are capable of cytotoxic killing and express receptors that can recognize foreign paternal antigens. Therefore, it has been argued that uterine Natural Killer cell activation can lead to killing of fetal cells and abortion. However, fetal rejection by uterine Natural Killer cells does not occur in normal pregnancies and other functions for uterine Natural Killer cells have been proposed. These include: the regulation of maternal blood supply responsible for providing oxygen to the fetus, regulation of maternal blood pressure and, in species with invasive placentation, regulation of decidualization, the process of endometrial cell expansion and transformation during the menstrual cycle and during pregnancy. These cell functions juxtapose the concept that uterine Natural Killer cell activation is harmful to the fetus and offer a new perspective that uterine Natural Killer cells regulate functions unrelated to traditional transplantation immunology. In this dissertation, work is presented showing that uterine Natural Killer cells express molecules which regulate blood pressure and decidualization. Also presented are data supporting the hypothesis that the numerical increase of uterine Natural Killer cells is due to the recruitment of Natural Killer cells from the blood. These results support roles for uterine Natural Killer cells other than cytotoxic killing and advance the understanding of uterine Natural Killer cells as dynamic players that support pregnancy-associated biological processes unrelated to traditional understandings of immune surveillance. / Thesis (Master, Microbiology & Immunology) -- Queen's University, 2009-12-15 11:33:37.11

1 v. (various paging) : photos, graphs, tables ; 30 cm. / Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Oral Biology, 1980

Diss. (sammanfattning) Stockholm : Karol. inst. / Härtill 6 uppsatser.

Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Adelaide, Department of Oral Biology, 1980.

Thesis (M.D.)--University of Hong Kong, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 130-155) Also available in print.

Natural killer (NK) cells are a small subset of CD3-negative non-T, non-B lymphocytes that display spontaneous cytotoxic activity against a variety of normal, virus-infected, or tumor target cells without previous sensitization and with no requirement for expression of polymorphic MHC determinants on target cells. By using multicolor EPICS Elite Flow Cytometer (Coulter Corporation) and a panel of fluorochrome-conjugated Coulter Clone monoclonal antibodies (CD16-FITC, CD56-RD1, CD3-ECD and CD8-APC) , the present studies were carried out to monitor and measure the peripheral blood NK cells in seven cancer patients during chemotherapy and stem cell harvests. Flow cytometric (FCM) analysis revealed that NK cells were increased during ch'emotherapy, however as expected in many cancer or AIDS patients the immunophenotypic results did correlate poorly with the functional data obtained by 4-hour chromium-51 release cytotoxicity assay. In addition, the present studies provide direct evidence that FCM analysis can be used as a useful tool for rapid identification and purification of NK cells from cancer patients for further clinical study/application.

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Cheng, Siu Fung. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2011. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 121-141). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Abstract (English) --- p.ii / (Chinese) --- p.V / Acknowledgements --- p.viii / List of Abbreviations --- p.x / Table of Contents --- p.xi / Chapter Chapter 1 --- Introduction and Literature Reviews --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- Bacterial Infection in Neonates --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1.1 --- Overview of Bacterial Infection in Neonates --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1.2 --- Gram-Positive Bacteria and Infection in Newborns --- p.2 / Chapter 1.1.3 --- Lipoteichoic Acid - the Immunostumulatory Component of Gram-Positive Bacteria --- p.5 / Chapter Figure 1.1 --- Schematic Representation of Gram-Positive Bacterial Cell Wall --- p.8 / Chapter Figure 1.2 --- Structure of Lipoteichoic Acid Polymer --- p.9 / Chapter 1.2 --- The Immune System of the Neonate --- p.10 / Chapter 1.2.1 --- Overview of the Human Immune System --- p.10 / Chapter 1.2.2 --- Innate Immune System --- p.10 / Chapter 1.2.3 --- Adaptive immune system --- p.13 / Chapter 1.3 --- Macrophages --- p.15 / Chapter 1.3.1 --- Overview of Macrophages --- p.15 / Chapter 1.3.2 --- Functions of Macrophages --- p.16 / Chapter 1.3.3 --- Macrophages in Gram-Positive Bacterial Infection --- p.19 / Chapter 1.4 --- Natural Killer Cells --- p.21 / Chapter 1.4.1 --- Overview of Natural Killer Cells --- p.21 / Chapter 1.4.2 --- Activation of Natural Killer Cells --- p.23 / Chapter 1.4.3 --- Functions of Natural Killer Cells --- p.24 / Chapter 1.4.4 --- Activation Markers on Natural Killer Cell Surface --- p.27 / Chapter Figure 1.3 --- Schematic Diagram of CD 107a Expression in NK Cells During Degranulation --- p.30 / Chapter 1.5 --- Interactions Between Macrophages and Natural Killer Cells --- p.31 / Chapter 1.6 --- Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases (MAPKs) and Infection --- p.32 / Chapter 1.7 --- ApolipoproteinA-1 (ApoA-1) and Infection --- p.34 / Chapter 1.8 --- Overall Objectives of the Study --- p.36 / Chapter Chapter 2 --- Materials and Methods --- p.37 / Chapter 2.1 --- Reagents Used --- p.37 / Chapter 2.2 --- Sampling Methods --- p.41 / Chapter 2.3 --- Mononuclear Cell Isolation --- p.41 / Chapter 2.4 --- Mononuclear Cell Cryopreservation --- p.42 / Chapter 2.5 --- Induction of Macrophage from MNC culture --- p.42 / Chapter 2.6 --- Enrichment of Natural Killer (NK) Cells from MNC --- p.43 / Chapter 2.7 --- Culture of NK Cells Using Conditioned Medium Collected From LTA-Stimulated Macrophages --- p.45 / Chapter 2.8 --- Western Blotting --- p.46 / Chapter 2.9 --- Cytokines in Culture Supernatant of Macrophages --- p.50 / Chapter 2.10 --- CD107a Assay --- p.51 / Chapter 2.11 --- CD69 Assay --- p.52 / Chapter 2.12 --- Statistical Analysis --- p.53 / Chapter Figure 2.1 --- A Representative Diagram to Show NK Cell Purity After Enrichment by Immuno-Magnetic Beads --- p.55 / Chapter Figure 2.2 --- A Diagram to Illustrate the Gating Method Used in CD 107a Assay --- p.56 / Chapter Figure 2.3 --- A Diagram to Illustrate the Gating Method Used in CD69 Assay --- p.58 / Chapter Chapter 3 --- Lipoteichoic Acid - Induced Inflammatory Responses of Cord Blood Macrophages in vitro --- p.59 / Chapter 3.1 --- LTA-Stimulated Secretion of Tumor Necrosis Factor-Alpha in Cord Blood Macrophages --- p.60 / Chapter 3.2 --- LTA-Stimulated Secretion of Interleukin-6 in Cord Blood Macrophages --- p.61 / Chapter 3.3 --- LTA-Stimulated Secretion of Interleukin-12 in Cord Blood Macrophages --- p.62 / Chapter 3.4 --- LTA-Stimulated Phosphorylation of P44/42 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase (ERK1/2) in Cord Blood Macrophages --- p.63 / Chapter 3.5 --- The Effect of Apolipoprotein A-l Pre-Treatment on LTA-Stimulated P44/42 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase (Erkl/2) Phosphorylation --- p.64 / Chapter 3.6 --- Discussion --- p.65 / Chapter Figure 3.1 --- LTA-Induced TNFa Secretion by Cord Blood Macrophages --- p.73 / Chapter Figure 3.2 --- LTA-Induced IL-6 Secretion by Cord Blood Macrophages --- p.74 / Chapter Figure 3.3 --- LTA-Induced IL-12 Secretion by Cord Blood Macrophages --- p.75 / Chapter Figure 3.4 --- Phosphorylation of P44/42 MAPK (ERK1/2) Stimulated by LTA in Cord Blood Macrophages --- p.76 / Chapter Figure 3.5 --- The Effect of ApolipoproteinA-1 on LTA-Stimulated P44/42 MAPK Phosphorylation --- p.78 / Chapter Chapter 4 --- Lipoteichoic Acid - Induced Inflammatory Responses of Natural Killer Cells in vitro --- p.80 / Chapter 4.1 --- Dose-Dependent Effect of IL-15 on CD69 Expression --- p.80 / Chapter 4.2 --- Effects of LTA on CD69 Surface Expression in NK Cells --- p.82 / Chapter 4.3 --- Effects of LTA on CD 107a Surface Expression in NK Cells --- p.84 / Chapter 4.4 --- Discussion --- p.87 / Chapter Figure 4.1 --- Dose-Dependent Effect of IL-15 on Cord Blood NK Cells CD69 Surface Expression --- p.93 / Chapter Figure 4.2 --- Effects of LTA and IL-15 on CD69 surface Expression in NK Cells --- p.95 / Chapter Figure 4.3 --- Effects of LTA and IL-15 on CD 107a surface Expression in NK Cells --- p.97 / Chapter Chapter 5 --- Effects of LTA-Primed Macrophage-Conditioned Medium on Autologous Natural Killer Cell Activation --- p.99 / Chapter 5.1 --- Effects of Macrophage-Conditioned Medium on Autologous NK Cell CD 107a Expression --- p.100 / Chapter 5.2 --- Effects of LTA-Stimulated Macrophages on Autologous NK cells CD69 Expression --- p.102 / Chapter 5.3 --- Discussion --- p.105 / Chapter Figure 5.1 --- Flow Chart of the Experiment Design --- p.110 / Chapter Figure 5.2 --- Effects of Macrophage-Conditioned Medium on Autologous NK CD 107a Expression --- p.111 / Chapter Figure 5.3 --- Effects of Macrophage-Conditioned Medium on Autologous NK CD69 Expression --- p.113 / Chapter Chapter 6 --- Conclusion and General Discussion --- p.115 / Chapter 6.1 --- Conclusion --- p.115 / Chapter 6.2 --- Potential Applications of the Findings --- p.117 / Chapter 6.3 --- Limitations --- p.118 / Chapter 6.4 --- Further Studies --- p.119 / References --- p.121

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