Genital Tract and Circulating CD8+ T Cell Phenotypes Vary Across the Menstrual Cycle.
7 affiliations
- 1Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington, USA.
- 2Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA.
- 3Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA.
- 4Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA.
- 5School of Public Health, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Nairobi, Kenya.
- 6Center For Clinical Research, Kenya Medical Research Institute, Nairobi, Kenya.
- 7Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA.
Abstract
Problem
The menstrual cycle consists of two main phases: the follicular phase, characterized by rising estradiol and low progesterone, and the luteal phase, marked by elevated progesterone following ovulation. Changes in sex hormones have profound physiological effects, yet their impact on immunity remains poorly understood. The prevailing theory suggests that reduced immunity during the luteal phase facilitates embryo implantation but also increases susceptibility to infections. Thus, defining the impact of the menstrual cycle on genital and systemic immunity is critical to understanding how immunity at different sites may be affected.Method of study
We examined phenotypic differences in T cells from ectocervical and vaginal tissue biopsies and blood samples collected from 58 women in the follicular phase and 20 women in the luteal phase using flow cytometry and measured seventy-one cytokines and chemokines from serum and cervicovaginal secretions.Results
The proportions of CD8+ memory T cell subsets varied with menstrual phase, with a higher frequency of central memory cells during the luteal phase and more TEMRA cells during the follicular phase. Cervical CD8+ T cells exhibited higher frequencies of CD38 and CD39 during the luteal phase. We found higher CCL15 and IL-2 concentrations in cervicovaginal fluid, and higher CXCL12 in serum, during the follicular phase. During the luteal phase, CXCL13 was higher in cervicovaginal secretions.Conclusions
Our findings provide insight into how menstrual phase modulates genital CD8+ T cell phenotypes and memory subsets throughout the cycle and may influence immunity in distinct tissue compartments with consequences for local infection vulnerability.
Related
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BibTeX
@article{talavera2026genital,
title = {{Genital Tract and Circulating CD8+ T Cell Phenotypes Vary Across the Menstrual Cycle.}},
author = {Irene Cruz Talavera and Katherine K Thomas and Jessica B Graham and Jessica L Swarts and Sarah C Vick and Finn MacLean and Nicole B Potchen and Lakshmi Warrier and Adino Tesfahun Tsegaye and Sean M Hughes and Florian Hladik and Bhavna H Chohan and Kenneth Ngure and Nelly Mugo and Jairam R Lingappa and Jennifer M Lund and Kinga Study Team},
journal = {American journal of reproductive immunology (New York, N.Y. : 1989)},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1111/aji.70334},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42905934},
note = {CC BY-NC},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Genital Tract and Circulating CD8+ T Cell Phenotypes Vary Across the Menstrual Cycle.
AU - Irene Cruz Talavera
AU - Katherine K Thomas
AU - Jessica B Graham
AU - Jessica L Swarts
AU - Sarah C Vick
AU - Finn MacLean
AU - Nicole B Potchen
AU - Lakshmi Warrier
AU - Adino Tesfahun Tsegaye
AU - Sean M Hughes
AU - Florian Hladik
AU - Bhavna H Chohan
AU - Kenneth Ngure
AU - Nelly Mugo
AU - Jairam R Lingappa
AU - Jennifer M Lund
AU - Kinga Study Team
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/01
JO - American journal of reproductive immunology (New York, N.Y. : 1989)
DO - 10.1111/aji.70334
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42905934
AB - Problem The menstrual cycle consists of two main phases: the follicular phase, characterized by rising estradiol and low progesterone, and the luteal phase, marked by elevated progesterone following ovulation. Changes in sex hormones have profound physiological effects, yet their impact on immunity remains poorly understood. The prevailing theory suggests that reduced immunity during the luteal phase facilitates embryo implantation but also increases susceptibility to infections. Thus, defining the impact of the menstrual cycle on genital and systemic immunity is critical to understanding how immunity at different sites may be affected.Method of study We examined phenotypic differences in T cells from ectocervical and vaginal tissue biopsies and blood samples collected from 58 women in the follicular phase and 20 women in the luteal phase using flow cytometry and measured seventy-one cytokines and chemokines from serum and cervicovaginal secretions.Results The proportions of CD8+ memory T cell subsets varied with menstrual phase, with a higher frequency of central memory cells during the luteal phase and more TEMRA cells during the follicular phase. Cervical CD8+ T cells exhibited higher frequencies of CD38 and CD39 during the luteal phase. We found higher CCL15 and IL-2 concentrations in cervicovaginal fluid, and higher CXCL12 in serum, during the follicular phase. During the luteal phase, CXCL13 was higher in cervicovaginal secretions.Conclusions Our findings provide insight into how menstrual phase modulates genital CD8+ T cell phenotypes and memory subsets throughout the cycle and may influence immunity in distinct tissue compartments with consequences for local infection vulnerability.
SN - 1046-7408
SN - 1600-0897
ER -