Altered Endometrial Memory T-Cell Profiles During the Window of Implantation in Women with Previous Miscarriage

TL;DR

Women with a history of miscarriage have altered T-cell profiles in their endometrium during the implantation window, which may affect future pregnancy success.

Contribution

This study identifies specific T-cell memory subset changes in women with prior miscarriage during the window of implantation.

Findings

Women with prior miscarriage had higher central memory T cells and lower effector memory T cells.

Tissue-resident memory T cells correlated with central and effector memory subsets.

The TCM/TEM ratio was the most discriminative parameter between groups.

Abstract

Aim: This study aimed to characterize and compare the composition of central (TCM), effector (TEM), tissue-resident (TRM), and terminally differentiated (TEMRA) memory T cells in mid-luteal endometrium during the window of implantation (WOI) in women with and without a previous miscarriage. Methods: Stromal lymphocytes from endometrial samples (P + 5) were analyzed by multicolor flow cytometry to quantify total, CD4+ and CD8+ TCM (CD45RA−CCR7+), TEM (CD45RA−CCR7−), TRM (CD69+), and TEMRA (CD45RA+CCR7−) subsets. Participants were grouped as having no previous miscarriage (n = 38) or ≥1 previous miscarriage (n = 33), and the relative distribution of these memory subsets was compared between groups. Correlations, PCA and logistic regression were used to assess global memory network organization. Results: Women with prior miscarriage exhibited higher TCM proportions among total and CD8+ lymphocytes (p < 0.01), alongside lower CD8+ TEM (p = 0.02) and higher CD4+ TEM (p = 0.01). TRM showed a mild, non-significant increase (p = 0.18), while TEMRA remained stable. TRM correlated positively with both TCM (r = 0.51) and CD4+ TEM (r = 0.40), indicating coordinated organization among memory subsets. Multivariate analyses (PCA and logistic regression) confirmed these trends and identified the TCM/TEM ratio as the most discriminative parameter. Conclusions: Endometrial memory T-cell composition during the WOI differs in women with miscarriage history, characterized by central memory expansion and reduced effector memory proportions, with parallel increases in tissue-resident cells. These changes suggest persistent remodeling of the local immune memory network toward a long-lived, less differentiated phenotype that may influence implantation readiness in subsequent cycles.

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