Potential utility of a non-invasive menstrual blood immunophenotype analysis in reproductive medicine

The purpose of this study was to determine if a comprehensive flow cytometry panel could be used to assess immunophenotype profiles in menstrual blood of patients experiencing reproductive failure and age-matched controls of proven fertility. Menstrual blood samples of 58 recurrent pregnancy loss an...

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Main Authors: Kevin Marron, Conor Harrity
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Bioscientifica 2022-10-01
Series:Reproduction and Fertility
Subjects:
Online Access:https://raf.bioscientifica.com/view/journals/raf/3/4/RAF-22-0047.xml
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author Kevin Marron
Conor Harrity
author_facet Kevin Marron
Conor Harrity
author_sort Kevin Marron
collection DOAJ
description The purpose of this study was to determine if a comprehensive flow cytometry panel could be used to assess immunophenotype profiles in menstrual blood of patients experiencing reproductive failure and age-matched controls of proven fertility. Menstrual blood samples of 58 recurrent pregnancy loss and repeated implantation failure patients, along with 15 age-matched controls of proven fertility, were obtained within the first 24 h of the onset of menstruation to non-invasively assess the local immunophenotype. Using a comprehensive multi-parameter flow panel, the lymphocyte sub-populations were described and compared. In relation to well-established peripheral blood immunophenotyping values, distinct lymphocyte population differences were noted between the subgroups. The ratios of CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells were inverted in relation to peripheral blood, and uterine natural killler (NK) cells represented by CD56bright were distinctly visualised, emphasising the distinction between menstrual and peripheral blood. In relation to controls, there were marked increases in CD3+ve T-cells (P = 0.009), CD4:CD8 ratio (P = 0.004), CD19 B-cells (P = 0.026) and CD56dim NK cells (P = 0.002) in the reproductive failure cases. The study shows that flow cytometric evaluation could provide a rapid and objective analysis of lymphocyte subpopulations in many forms of tissue and fluid. The findings show significant variations in cellular composition of immune cells indicating a distinct compartment, with differences between cases and controls. Immunological assessment of the menstrual blood immunophenotype, in clinically appropriate patients, may provide insight into the aetiology of adverse reproductive outcome, without the risks and inconveniences associated with a more invasive endometrial biopsy.
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spelling doaj.art-1873da26f37f494097ea97356b9cd7982022-12-22T04:36:49ZengBioscientificaReproduction and Fertility2633-83862022-10-013417https://doi.org/10.1530/RAF-22-0047Potential utility of a non-invasive menstrual blood immunophenotype analysis in reproductive medicineKevin Marron0Conor Harrity1Sims IVF Clinic, Clonskeagh, Dublin, IrelandRCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dublin, Ireland; Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, IrelandThe purpose of this study was to determine if a comprehensive flow cytometry panel could be used to assess immunophenotype profiles in menstrual blood of patients experiencing reproductive failure and age-matched controls of proven fertility. Menstrual blood samples of 58 recurrent pregnancy loss and repeated implantation failure patients, along with 15 age-matched controls of proven fertility, were obtained within the first 24 h of the onset of menstruation to non-invasively assess the local immunophenotype. Using a comprehensive multi-parameter flow panel, the lymphocyte sub-populations were described and compared. In relation to well-established peripheral blood immunophenotyping values, distinct lymphocyte population differences were noted between the subgroups. The ratios of CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells were inverted in relation to peripheral blood, and uterine natural killler (NK) cells represented by CD56bright were distinctly visualised, emphasising the distinction between menstrual and peripheral blood. In relation to controls, there were marked increases in CD3+ve T-cells (P = 0.009), CD4:CD8 ratio (P = 0.004), CD19 B-cells (P = 0.026) and CD56dim NK cells (P = 0.002) in the reproductive failure cases. The study shows that flow cytometric evaluation could provide a rapid and objective analysis of lymphocyte subpopulations in many forms of tissue and fluid. The findings show significant variations in cellular composition of immune cells indicating a distinct compartment, with differences between cases and controls. Immunological assessment of the menstrual blood immunophenotype, in clinically appropriate patients, may provide insight into the aetiology of adverse reproductive outcome, without the risks and inconveniences associated with a more invasive endometrial biopsy.https://raf.bioscientifica.com/view/journals/raf/3/4/RAF-22-0047.xmlmenstrual bloodimmunophenotypeartlymphocytes
spellingShingle Kevin Marron
Conor Harrity
Potential utility of a non-invasive menstrual blood immunophenotype analysis in reproductive medicine
Reproduction and Fertility
menstrual blood
immunophenotype
art
lymphocytes
title Potential utility of a non-invasive menstrual blood immunophenotype analysis in reproductive medicine
title_full Potential utility of a non-invasive menstrual blood immunophenotype analysis in reproductive medicine
title_fullStr Potential utility of a non-invasive menstrual blood immunophenotype analysis in reproductive medicine
title_full_unstemmed Potential utility of a non-invasive menstrual blood immunophenotype analysis in reproductive medicine
title_short Potential utility of a non-invasive menstrual blood immunophenotype analysis in reproductive medicine
title_sort potential utility of a non invasive menstrual blood immunophenotype analysis in reproductive medicine
topic menstrual blood
immunophenotype
art
lymphocytes
url https://raf.bioscientifica.com/view/journals/raf/3/4/RAF-22-0047.xml
work_keys_str_mv AT kevinmarron potentialutilityofanoninvasivemenstrualbloodimmunophenotypeanalysisinreproductivemedicine
AT conorharrity potentialutilityofanoninvasivemenstrualbloodimmunophenotypeanalysisinreproductivemedicine