Laganà Antonio Simone, Triolo Onofrio, Salmeri Francesca Maria, Granese Roberta, Palmara Vittorio Italo, Ban Frangež Helena, Vrtčnik Bokal Eda, Sofo Vincenza
Unit of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Department of Human Pathology in Adulthood and Childhood "G. Barresi", University of Messina, Via C. Valeria 1, 98125, Messina, Italy.
Department of Biomedical Sciences, Dentistry and Morphological and Functional Imaging, University of Messina, Via C. Valeria 1, 98125, Messina, Italy.
Arch Gynecol Obstet. 2016 May;293(5):941-9. doi: 10.1007/s00404-015-4004-7. Epub 2016 Jan 6.
Invariant Natural Killer T cells (iNKT) are a specialized subset of T cells that use their T cell receptor to recognize self and foreign lipids presented by CD1d as cognate antigens. iNKT have been shown to have either protective or harmful roles in many pathological states, including microbial infection, autoimmune disease, allergic disease and cancer. Accumulating evidence seems to suggest that this unique T cell subset combines both classically innate and adaptive immunologic characteristic. Considering these recent data, the aim of work was to review the current knowledge about iNKT in eutopic and ectopic endometrium.
Narrative overview, synthesizing the findings of literature retrieved from searches of computerized databases.
Currently, the immune paradigm of reproduction is gradually changing shape: recent data confirmed that cytokine milieu influences the development and plasticity of different subtype of mononuclear cells, and in turn it can be influenced by the cytokine production of the latter. Among the different NKT cell populations, the recently characterized iNKT seems to share actions typical both of innate and adaptive immunity, being capable of secreting Th1 as well as Th2 cytokine pattern. Moreover, several subtypes of iNKT were identified, who partially express the same master transcription factors of the corresponding T cells counterpart.
Although the data about iNKT's actions in eutopic and ectopic endometrium are still scarce, it is possible to hypothesize that future investigation can shed light on this point, thus allowing a better knowledge about the regulation of these two microenvironments.
不变自然杀伤T细胞（iNKT）是T细胞的一个特殊亚群，它们利用其T细胞受体识别由CD1d呈递的自身和外来脂质作为同源抗原。iNKT在许多病理状态下已显示出具有保护或有害作用，包括微生物感染、自身免疫性疾病、过敏性疾病和癌症。越来越多的证据似乎表明，这个独特的T细胞亚群兼具经典的先天性和适应性免疫特征。考虑到这些最新数据，本研究的目的是综述目前关于iNKT在正常和异位子宫内膜中的知识。
进行叙述性综述，综合从计算机数据库检索的文献结果。
目前，生殖的免疫模式正在逐渐改变：最新数据证实，细胞因子环境影响不同亚型单核细胞的发育和可塑性，反过来又可受后者细胞因子产生的影响。在不同的NKT细胞群体中，最近鉴定出的iNKT似乎兼具先天性和适应性免疫的典型作用，能够分泌Th1以及Th2细胞因子模式。此外，还鉴定出了几种iNKT亚型，它们部分表达相应T细胞对应物的相同主要转录因子。
尽管关于iNKT在正常和异位子宫内膜中作用的数据仍然很少，但可以推测未来的研究可能会阐明这一点，从而更好地了解这两种微环境的调节机制。
