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US 7,094,561 B2Granted
Method of monitoring the menstrual cycle and/or pregnancy in a female
AssigneesUniversity of Guelph, Health Research, Inc. (Roswell Park Division)
InventorsBarbara Anne Croy, Sharon S. Evans
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention relates to methods of monitoring the menstrual cycle and/or the first half of pregnancy in a female by assessing the adhesion of lymphocytes from the female to uterine or lymphoid histological tissues from a pregnant animal or an animal that has been treated with gestational hormones. The method can be used to determine the ability of the lymphocyte donor's immune system to recognize and respond to an environment suitable for sustaining a pregnancy.
Claims14
A method of monitoring a menstrual cycle and/or pregnancy in a female comprising:
- (a) obtaining CD56bright natural killer cells found in blood from the female;
- and
- (b) contacting the CD56bright natural killer cells with uterine or lymphoid tissue, from a pregnant animal or an animal that has been treated with gestational hormones;
- and
- (c) detecting the adhesion of the CD56bright natural killer cells with the uterine or lymphoid tissue, wherein a greater adhesion of CD56bright natural killer cells from the female to the uterine or lymphoid tissue, as compared with a control indicates an immune system more competent for sustaining pregnancy.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.