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J N Bulmer

Publications and source records attributed to J N Bulmer.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources
PubMed1988

Immunohistochemical characterization of stromal leucocytes in nonpregnant human endometrium.

Stromal leucocytes in normal premenopausal human endometrium were characterised by an indirect immunoperoxidase technique employing a panel of monoclonal antibodies. T cells were scanty in proliferative endometrium but increased in frequency in the secretory phase of the menstrual cycle. An additional population of phenotypically unusual lymphocytes (CD2-positive, CD3-negative) was detected in the stratum functionalis in mid- and late secretory phase endometrium, particularly in areas exhibiting pseudodecidual change. The distribution of these unusual lymphocytes mirrored that of the so-called "endometrial stromal granulocytes," which have recently been shown to be granulated lymphocytes. Macrophages were common throughout the menstrual cycle. B lymphocytes were detected in lymphoid aggregates in the basalis but rarely in the functionalis.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗
PubMed1988

Expression of class II MHC gene products by macrophages in human uteroplacental tissue.

The expression of class II MHC determinants by fetal and maternal macrophages in human uteroplacental tissues was examined with monoclonal antibodies directed against HLA-DR, DP and DQ antigens. Maternal macrophages in early and full-term pregnancy decidua were HLA-DR positive, and a substantial proportion also expressed DP and DQ antigens. Fetal macrophages in chorionic villous stroma in first-trimester pregnancy were rarely HLA-DR positive, and DQ and DP antigens were never expressed. In term placental tissues, groups of villous stromal macrophages were HLA-DR positive, as were fetal macrophages within amniotic mesenchyme. In contrast, DP and DQ antigens were detected on a small minority of fetal macrophages in term placental tissues. DP and DQ antigens were not detected in the absence of DR antigens.

Chorionic Villi↗
PubMed1987

Extraction of leucocytes from human decidua. A comparison of dispersal techniques.

Functional studies of human utero-placental tissues have been limited by poor characterisation of the morphology and antigenic phenotype of the cells under investigation. The present study documents the effect of dispersal methods on the viability and cellular composition of cell suspensions prepared from decidualised endometrium in early human pregnancy. First trimester decidua was subjected to both mechanical disaggregation and digestion with various enzyme combinations in an attempt to optimise the yield of infiltrating decidual leucocytes. Cell types were characterised with monoclonal antibodies using an alkaline phosphatase immunolabelling method. Mechanical disaggregation resulted in suspensions containing many large decidual cells and much cell debris but few leucocytic cells. Overall viability was low, although the viability of small leucocytes common antigen-bearing cells remained high. Enzymic digestion yielded cell suspensions rich in leucocytes with high viability and minimal contamination by other cell types. Collagenase produced a high yield of leucocytes with high viability and minimal disruption of surface antigens in contrast with pronase which caused extensive antigenic loss. The disaggregation method determines the yield of bone marrow derived cells in decidual cell suspensions and the extent of contamination by true decidual cells and epithelial cells.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗
PubMed1987

Immunocytochemical evidence that endometrial stromal granulocytes are granulated lymphocytes.

Endometrial stromal granulocytes (EGs) are prominent in late luteal phase human endometrium and in early pregnancy decidua. They have been believed to develop from endometrial stromal cells and to secrete relaxin. Recent immunohistochemical studies have suggested that EGs are derived from bone marrow but this has been difficult to prove, mainly because the characteristic cytoplasmic granules are not preserved in frozen tissues. Two separate approaches have now been employed to investigate the cellular lineage of EGs. Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded sections of first trimester decidua were labelled by an immunoperoxidase method with four monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) reactive with routinely fixed and processed tissues. In addition, acetone-fixed smears of decidual cell suspensions were labelled with a panel of mAbs. Sections and smears were counterstained to demonstrate the characteristic cytoplasmic granules of EGs. Endometrial granulocytes were LCA+, CD2+, MT1+, and UCHL1+, which provides evidence that they are leucocytes. EGs are probably members of the large granular lymphocytes series and may have an essential role in normal implantation and placentation.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗
PubMed1987

Complement component deposition in uteroplacental (spiral) arteries in normal human pregnancy.

There is conflicting evidence for the deposition of complement in spiral arteries in normal and abnormal human pregnancies. The immunogold silver staining (IGSS) technique was used to investigate the distribution of C1q, C3d, C4, C6 and C9 within the spiral arteries of formalin-fixed normal pregnancy hysterectomy specimens ranging in gestational age from 4 to 40 weeks. Deposition of complement components studied was observed in all cases suggesting classical pathway activation. Reactivity was not confined to vessels showing endovascular trophoblast though the latter showed a characteristic linear deposition subjacent to the trophoblast. Reactivity was most intense for C3d and C9. An appreciation of complement deposition as a feature of normal pregnancy is essential before significant immunopathology can be recognised in placental bed vessels in abnormal pregnancy.

Antigen-Antibody Reactions↗
PubMed1987

Investigation of the expression of amnion antigens by spiral arteries in human utero-placental tissues.

Two monoclonal antibodies raised against human amnion, GB3 and GB5, were used in an indirect immunoperoxidase method to investigate the expression of amnion antigens by spiral arteries in pregnant and nonpregnant uterine tissues. GB3 showed focal reactivity with occasional spiral arteries in the placental bed throughout pregnancy, but no GB3-staining was observed in nonpregnant endometrium. In contrast, GB5 showed bandlike circumferential reactivity with spiral arteries at all gestational ages examined. GB5-positivity showed no relation to the presence of endovascular or perivascular trophoblast. In nonpregnant endometrium, GB5 labeled rare spiral arteries. However, in a premenstrual specimen showing pseudodecidual change, there was circumferential reactivity with GB5 resembling that in pregnancy. The reaction patterns of GB3 or GB5 were not similar to those for two other basement-membrane components, fibronectin and type IV collagen. The results suggest that expression of the GB5 antigen may in part be regulated by hormones.

Amnion↗
PubMed1987

Leucocyte populations in ectopic tubal pregnancy.

Leucocytes at the ectopic implantation site in 10 cases of early tubal pregnancy were characterised with a series of monoclonal antibodies using an indirect immunoperoxidase technique on cryostat sections. Most were HLA-DR positive macrophages, and there were a small number of mature T lymphocytes (UCHT1 and Dako-T1 positive cells). These results were compared with those reported in normal first trimester intrauterine pregnancies, and the contributions of the various leucocyte types to successful implantation at both the ectopic and intrauterine sites were assessed.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗
PubMed1987

The expression of class II MHC gene products by fallopian tube epithelium in pregnancy and throughout the menstrual cycle.

The expression of HLA class II antigens by human fallopian tube epithelium was investigated in ectopic tubal pregnancy, in normal early and full-term intrauterine pregnancy, and during the menstrual cycle. Monoclonal antibodies directed against non-polymorphic (DA6.231, CR3/43, B7/21) and polymorphic (DA6.147, DA6.164, anti-leu-10) determinants of the HLA-D locus were used in a standard indirect immunoperoxidase method on fresh cryostat sections of fallopian tube. In ectopic pregnancy the tube epithelium showed uniform, intense reactivity for DR, DP and DQ. A similar reaction pattern was observed in normal first-trimester pregnancy. At term, most epithelial cells were DR-, DP- and DQ-positive, but a few were DP- and DQ-negative. In fallopian tubes from non-pregnant individuals, a variable number of epithelial cells labelled for DR alpha and DR beta but there was essentially no reactivity for DP or DQ. These results suggest differential regulation of class II MHC gene expression by tube epithelial cells, possibly mediated by hormones and/or a trophoblast product.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗
PubMed1987

Endometrial granulocytes in human decidua react with a natural-killer (NK) cell marker, NKH1.

Lymphoid cells in decidualized uterine endometrium in early human pregnancy may be essential for successful implantation and placentation. Endometrial granulocytes are prominent in early pregnancy decidua and express some T-cell associated surface antigens (CD2+, CD7+), but little is known of their function. We report the unusually intense binding of the natural-killer (NK) cell marker NKH1 to endometrial granulocytes, which contrasts with their lack of reactivity with other NK-cell markers.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗
PubMed1986

Localization of immunoglobulin-containing cells in human endometrium in the first trimester of pregnancy and throughout the menstrual cycle.

The distribution of immunoglobulins in normal human endometrium throughout the menstrual cycle and in early pregnancy has been studied with an immunoperoxidase technique. In first-trimester decidua, IgG was detected within many cells of differing morphology and size. Large IgG-containing cells were often binucleate and were believed to be decidual cells. Examination of serial sections showed no kappa or lambda light-chain restriction, suggesting absorption of the immunoglobulin content. Medium-sized, irregular, IgG-containing cells were macrophages. An additional substantial population of small hyperchromatic IgG-containing cells were prominent around arterioles and adjacent to endometrial glands. From examination of adjacent sections stained with phloxine tartrazine, it was concluded that these represented endometrial granulocytes. Labelling for light chains again suggested absorption of the immunoglobulin content. In contrast, in non-pregnant endometrium immunoglobulin-containing stromal cells were uncommon, although IgG and IgA were detected in gland epithelium and secretions and in the stromal interstitium particularly in the secretory phase. These results support the notion that human endometrium lacks a classical secretory immune system and highlight the requirement for correlation between studies of cell surface markers, morphology and cell surface receptors.

Cytoplasmic Granules↗
PubMed1986

Immunohistological characterization of endometrial gland epithelium and extravillous fetal trophoblast in third trimester human placental bed tissues.

The distribution, morphology and antigen expression of endometrial glands, uterine vessels and fetal trophoblast have been studied in third trimester placental bed tissues with a panel of monoclonal antibodies in immunohistochemical techniques. Residual endometrial glands were numerous but often were attenuated or compressed and could only be identified clearly with epithelial cell markers. These glands must be clearly distinguished from vessels and trophoblast in immunological studies of cells in the placental bed. The changing pattern of antigen expression of both maternal glands and fetal trophoblast in placental bed tissues may indicate a form of local regulation of gene expression.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗
PubMed1986

Immunohistochemical characterisation of trophoblast antigens and secretory products in ectopic tubal pregnancy.

Fetal trophoblast populations in ectopic fallopian tube pregnancy have been characterised using immunohistochemical techniques. The distribution of trophoblast membrane antigens, low molecular weight epithelial cytokeratins, epithelial membrane antigen, human chorionic gonadotrophin, human placental lactogen, and pregnancy-specific beta 1-glycoprotein in ectopic tubal pregnancy appears similar to that reported in normal early intrauterine pregnancy. These findings emphasise the potential importance of ectopic pregnancy in the study of human gestation.

Antigens, Surface↗
PubMed1986

The T-lymphocyte population in first-trimester human decidua does not express the interleukin-2 receptor.

The expression of the IL-2 receptor by T lymphocytes in human uterine decidua has been studied with two monoclonal antibodies to the IL-2 receptor employed in immunoperoxidase labelling of serial cryostat sections. Infiltrating T lymphocytes in early pregnancy decidua do not express the IL-2 receptor. Endometrial gland epithelium in early pregnancy showed unexpected reactivity with one of the mAbs to the IL-2 receptor (Tac). Thus, despite the close proximity of fetal trophoblast, macrophages and T-lineage lymphocytes in decidua in early pregnancy, IL-2 receptor-bearing lymphocytes are completely absent.

Decidua↗
PubMed1985

Identification of leucocytes within the human chorion laeve.

Occasional macrophages and granulocytes have been detected within the cytotrophoblast layer of the chorion laeve in normal term placentae. It is clearly important to identify these leucocytes in studies of antigen expression by trophoblastic populations within the amniochorion. The relevance of these observations to any immunocompetent interactions between maternal and fetal cells through the chorion laeve remains to be established.

Chorion↗
PubMed1985

Immunohistological and biochemical evidence for a role for hyaluronic acid in the growth and development of the placenta.

A monoclonal antibody, designated NDOG1, has been used to stain a series of human and monkey placentae as well as several adult human tissues using immunoperoxidase techniques. In early placentae, NDOG1 was found to stain extracellular material associated with proliferating, extravillous cytotrophoblast cell columns and with the cytotrophoblast shell at the feto-maternal junction. The immunohistology suggests that NDOG1 antigen may be secreted by the anchoring cytotrophoblast into the immediately adjacent maternal tissues. NDOG1 antibody also shows extracellular staining in the stroma of early human placentae and reacted with the apical villous syncytiotrophoblast plasma membrane throughout pregnancy. Biochemical experiments demonstrated that extracts of this latter membrane contained NDOG1 antigenic activity which was susceptible to digestion with bovine testicular hyaluronidase. Hyaluronic acid was the only glycosaminoglycan found in this membrane, thereby implying a reaction between NDOG1 antibody and hyaluronic acid. Whilst no such direct interaction could be demonstrated in vitro, NDOG1 was shown to compete with two other antibodies which themselves demonstrated specificity for hyaluronic acid. The proposed identity between the NDOG1 antigen and hyaluronic acid is discussed particularly in terms of placentation where the distribution of NDOG1 staining may confirm the role of hyaluronic acid in providing an open matrix structure during stages of cell proliferation, migration and invasion.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

The expression of major histocompatibility complex antigens by trophoblast in ectopic tubal pregnancy.

The reactivity of the various trophoblast populations found in ectopic fallopian tube pregnancy with established trophoblast-reactive markers and monoclonal antibodies to MHC antigens has been studied. In ectopic tubal pregnancy fetal trophoblast shows an identical reaction pattern with these antibodies to that seen in intrauterine pregnancy, suggesting that ectopic implantation is not related to an inherent immunological abnormality of fetal trophoblast. However, from this and other studies, it appears that extravillous trophoblast displays an unusual class I MHC antigenic structure. This observation may explain the ability of class I MHC--bearing fetal trophoblast--to survive both in the uterus and at an abnormal implantation site.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗