Expression on cells of early human pregnancy decidua, of the p75, IL-2 and p145, IL-4 receptor proteins.

Immunohistological studies of human first trimester pregnancy decidua demonstrated the presence of the p75 interleukin-2 receptor (IL-2R) and the p145 interleukin-4 receptor protein (IL-4R) on cells in the decidual stroma; there was no expression of CD25, the p55 IL-2R. The IL-4R was also expressed on the basal face of the glandular epithelial cells. Flow cytometric analysis of antibody-labelled decidual cell dispersions confirmed these results. Double antibody labelling demonstrated that p75 was expressed exclusively on the CD56-positive decidual large granular lymphocytes (LGL), whereas the IL4-R was expressed on some decidual LGL, and most decidual macrophages and T cells. In vitro incubation of decidual cells with IL-2 failed to induce expression of p55 or to increase the expression of either p75 or the p145 IL-4R. Purified decidual LGL proliferated in vitro in response to IL-2, and IL-4 inhibited this IL-2-induced proliferation.