Pilot study on lipocalin expression into extracellular fluids of women in fertile age.
BACKGROUND
To verify the expression of neutrophil gelatinase associated lipocalin (NGAL), molecule now arising great interest because of its proposed involvement in cell-cycle regulation, acute phase response and immunomodulation, into extracellular fluids of female reproductive tract, in order to provide useful data to understand its biological functions. The data collected are purely qualitative, just meant to reveal the presence of lipocalin into the assayed fluids, and they have to be considered as preliminary for a quantitative study (in progress at the moment) based on a double antibody radioimmunoassay.


METHODS
Three kinds of extracellular fluid were randomly sampled: amniotic fluid (13 samples), cervical mucus (10 samples), coloster (20 samples). The inclusion criteria concerning the selection of the donor women were: age (fertile period), healthy state and pregnancy state. All the samples underwent protein assay, electrophoresis and western blot.


RESULTS
All the samples examined revealed NGAL's presence.


CONCLUSIONS
The positive results of this study seem to strengthen the hypothesis related to NGAL biological functions, specifically the ones that suggest its role into cell differentiation, embryonic development and inflammation. Therefore the female reproductive tract is suggested as a new promising study object in this research field.
D000209:Acute-Phase Proteins; D000328:Adult; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000096:biosynthesis; D005110:Extracellular Space / Q000737:chemistry*; D005260:Female; D005298:Fertility; D006801:Humans; D000071068:Lipocalin-2; D054834:Lipocalins; D009504:Neutrophils; D015513:Oncogene Proteins; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins
D000209:Acute-Phase Proteins; D002352:Carrier Proteins; C489506:LCN2 protein, human; D000071068:Lipocalin-2; D054834:Lipocalins; D015513:Oncogene Proteins; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins