Evidence map›Paper›PMID 25954039›Full record

ReviewHuman reproduction (Oxford, England)2015

First do no harm: uterine natural killer (NK) cells in assisted reproduction.

Ashley Moffett, Norman Shreeve

Open access · hybridAbstract readReview
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in Human reproduction (Oxford, England), 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 60 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
60citing papers in PubMed, 3 pooled it
8.6field-weighted citation impact, top 2% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

60 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 190 citations in OpenAlex.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

2 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Ashley MoffettDepartment of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK Centre for Trophoblast Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK am485@cam.ac.uk.
Norman ShreeveCentre for Trophoblast Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
University of Cambridge · GB

Funding

Wellcome Trust
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Natural killer (NK) cells are a type of lymphocyte circulating in peripheral blood named because of their effector functions in killing target cells. Immune cells that share similar phenotypic characteristics but are poor killers populate the uterine lining at implantation and during early pregnancy when the placenta is established. The functions of these uterine NK (uNK) cells are essentially unknown but available data point to a role in regulating placentation in concert with other elements of the decidua and invading trophoblast cells. Despite the lack of scientific rationale and advice from clinical governing bodies, such as the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, an increasing range of tests and therapies are still offered to women undergoing IVF or attending recurrent miscarriage clinics based on the myth that uterine NK cells need suppressing to prevent damage to the embryo. New treatments can be introduced at whim with subsequent demands for expensive trials to prove/disprove their efficacy. The evidence that targeting uNK or peripheral blood NK cells assists women with recurrent pregnancy failure is lacking. Healthcare professionals and patients should very carefully evaluate the practice of immunomodulation to enhance pregnancy outcome. A discussion on how to move towards stricter regulation of immunotherapy in non-hospital settings is now needed because it is clear that the potential risks and costs of these therapies outweigh any benefits.

Indexed as

AdultFemaleHumansImmunotherapyKiller Cells, NaturalReproductive Techniques, AssistedUterusassisted reproductionembryoimmunotherapymiscarriageuterine natural killer cells

Identifiers

PMID25954039
PMCPMC4472320
OpenAlexW2223972615

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.