Elevated Periimplantation Uterine Natural Killer Cell Density in Human Endometrium Is Associated With Impaired Corticosteroid Signaling in Decidualizing Stromal Cells

摘要

Background:Decidualizing human endometrial stromal cells (HESCs) profoundly up-regulate 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11βHSD1), the enzyme that converts inert cortisone to active cortisol. We postulated that the induction of a cortisol gradient upon decidualization of the periimplantation endometrium may impact on the uterine natural killer (uNK) cell population and on local expression of corticosteroid-dependent target genes.