AbstractSTUDY QUESTIONIs labour, bo

AbstractSTUDY QUESTIONIs labour, both at term and preterm, associated with alterations in decidual lymphocyte densities and widespread changes to the decidual transcriptome?SUMMARY ANSWERThe onset of parturition, both at term and preterm, is associated with widespread gene expression changes in the decidua, many of which are related to inflammatory signalling, but is not associated with changes in the number of any of the decidual lymphocyte populations examined.WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADYGiven its location, directly at the maternal–foetal interface, the decidua is likely to play a pivotal role in the onset of parturition, however, the molecular events occurring in the decidua in association with the onset of labour, both at term and preterm, remain relatively poorly defined. Using flow cytometry and microarray analysis, the present study aimed to investigate changes to the immune cell milieu of the decidua in association with the onset of parturition and define the decidual gene signature associated with term and preterm labour (PTL).STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATIONThis study used decidual samples collected from 36 women across four clinical groups: term (38–42 weeks of gestation) not in labour, TNL; term in labour, TL; preterm (