What dooes my natural killer cell result mean?

[Shellster52]

I had the endometrial scratch last cycle prior to my IVF this cycle. The biopsy was sent away for testing of natural killer cells. The result says this:

Immunostains for CD56, a marker for natural killer cells, shows small numbers of stromal cells with positive staining at a rate of 6 cells per high power field. NK cell count: 6 cells/HPF

Some websites say that women with high levels of these cells are treated, while other websites seem to suggest it is normal for these cells to be raised at the time of implantation, as though they are crucial to implantation rather than detrimental to it.

Does anyone have any experience with this to know what my result means? I will phone my Dr tomorrow but I can't always get in contact with her for some days and I am in day 4 of my IVF cycle so some reassurance in the meantime would be helpful.

[MrsGAT]

Hi Shellster -God these immunity things are scary and confusing aren't they?
Now, I'm certainly no expert, so feel free to take anything I say with a huge pinch of salt, but, I just had the (hideously expensive!) whole range of immunity tests done after our first failed IVF. I've just grabbed my results pages to see if I can make head or tail of what you've come back with, because I also think lots of clinics test in different ways. Anyway, in a long list of numbers, under "%CD56" cells, which i think might be the one you've got the result of, mine is 7.4%, which our Dr said was nothing to worry about as the reference range (on the sheet, is 2.0-12.0). I've got another one to worry about! (which was the overall rate of activity which in me was slightly high).
Do hope this helps, even a bit, to put your mind at rest - last thing you want int middle of IVF cycle is even more worry.
Sending a big hug
xxx

[Shellster52]

Wow Mrs GAT. You have especially gone out of your way to pull out your results to compare for me. Thank you. Yes, until I find out otherwise from my Dr when I get in contact with her, I will assume that since your result of 7.4% seems low and have been told is fine, that my result of 'small numbers of stromal cells with positive staining' also sounds low and nothing to worry about.

I assume based on what I have read on the internet, that it is normal to have some of these cells and that some are even necessary for pregnancy. It's just that when you are doing an IVF cycle and are forking out $$$$, you want all results to be at a perfect optimal level. I wish I could find some reference ranges on the internet to indicate not just that my levels are acceptable, but that they are at an optimal level for pregnancy success! But no such luck.

Was your second result that you do have to worry about also based on an endometrial biopsy or was that a blood test? I do hope they have a solution for you and that you will feel more confident heading into your next IVF feeling like you have a reason for why the first cycle didn't work and renewed hope for your next cycle.