CD56brightCD16− natural killer cells accumulate in the ovarian follicular fluid of patients undergoing in vitro fertilization  Ofer Fainaru, M.D., Ph.D., Hagai Amsalem, M.D., Yaakov Bentov, M.D., M.Sc., Navid Esfandiari, D.V.M., Ph.D., Robert F. Casper, M.D.  Fertility and Sterility  Volume 94, Issue 5, Pages 1918-1921 (October 2010) DOI: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2009.12.067 Copyright © 2010 American Society for Reproductive Medicine Terms and Conditions

Figure 1 (A) Correlations between FF NK cells and ovarian reserve. FF cells obtained from 29 patients undergoing IVF were analyzed by flow cytometry. The percentage of CD45+CD3−CD56brightCD16− (angiogenic) NK cells is plotted against day 3 FSH values (IU/L) and against the number of eggs retrieved (Pearson r, two-sided P-value). (B) FF NK subpopulations in good and poor responders to gonadotropins. FF cells from good (more than six eggs retrieved; n = 19) and poor responders (one to six eggs retrieved; n = 10) were analyzed for the presence of NK subpopulations. Results are presented as mean % ± SEM; two-tailed Student's t-test, ∗P<.05. (C) Chemokine receptors and ligands in FF NK cells. FF CD45+CD56+ NK cells were gated (not shown), and the expression of CXCR3 (left) and CXCR4 (right) on CD16+ cytotoxic (upper right quadrants) and CD16− angiogenic NK cells (upper left quadrants) is demonstrated (a representation of six separate experiments is shown). (D) Semi-quantitative reverse transcription (RT) PCR of FF granulosa cells in IVF patients. RNA was extracted from FF cells (>97% granulosa cells). Corresponding cDNA was prepared by RT, and CXCL10 expression was quantified using semiquantitative RT-PCR. Equal amounts of loaded cDNA are demonstrated by the expression of the housekeeping gene beta actin. The heading depicts the number of eggs retrieved. Fertility and Sterility 2010 94, 1918-1921DOI: (10.1016/j.fertnstert.2009.12.067) Copyright © 2010 American Society for Reproductive Medicine Terms and Conditions