title: Heparin and low-dose aspirin restore placental human chorionic gonadotrophin secretion abolished by antiphospholipid antibody-containing sera.
abstract: This study was conducted to determine whether drugs used for conventional treatments of pregnant women with antiphosholipid syndrome might be able to restore the gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH)-induced secretion of placental human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG) in vitro. We tested this hypothesis using a modified enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and an in-vitro placental culture system. Pharmacological dose of low molecular weight heparin (20 IU/ml) significantly (P < 0.02) reduced the antiphospholipid antibody (aPL) binding in the ELISA and was able to restore GnRH-induced HCG secretion (P < 0.05) in presence of aPL-containing sera. Low-dose aspirin (0.03 M) did not modify aPL binding in the ELISA, but partially restored HCG secretion (P < 0.05). These observations may help to explain the role of these treatments in antiphospholipid syndrome.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Università Cattolica S. Cuore, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Di Simone
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ferrazzani
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Castellani
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: De Carolis
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mancuso
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Caruso
mesh_terms: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D017152:Antibodies, Antiphospholipid / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016736:Antiphospholipid Syndrome / Q000097:blood*; D001241:Aspirin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001623:Betamethasone / Q000494:pharmacology; D002452:Cell Count; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin / Q000378:metabolism*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000494:pharmacology; D006495:Heparin, Low-Molecular-Weight / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D008751:Methylene Blue; D010920:Placenta / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D011247:Pregnancy; D014327:Trophoblasts / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D017152:Antibodies, Antiphospholipid; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin; D006495:Heparin, Low-Molecular-Weight; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone; D001623:Betamethasone; D001241:Aspirin; D008751:Methylene Blue