A number of studies have shown that the ovarian hormone cycle affects genital tract
immunoglobulin (Ig) levels and T cell function in both humans and rhesus monkeys. We
hypothesized that shifts in immune cell populations occurring in response to hormone cycles
are involved in the observed changes in genital tract immunity. To test this hypothesis, we
characterized the type, number, and distribution of immune cells in the cervicovaginal
mucosa at different stages of the menstrual cycle. Tissues from 18 normal female rhesus …