Fractalkine (FRK) levels in amniotic fluid and its production during pregnancy.
Fractalkine is a new CX(3)C chemokine that has chemoattractant activity for T cells, monocytes and natural killer (NK) cells. Western blot analysis revealed that fractalkine protein was detected as a 95 kDa band in both the amniotic fluid and the amnion during the second and third trimesters. Immunohistochemistry using an anti-fractalkine polyclonal antibody revealed positive staining of epithelial cells in amnion and trophoblasts in both the second and third trimesters. Neonatal urine also contained detectable amounts of fractalkine. RT-PCR detected fractalkine mRNA transcripts in the amnion. To determine whether fractalkine receptor (CX(3)CR1)-positive cells were present in amniotic fluid and amnion, we performed RT-PCR using specific primers for CX(3)CR1. CX(3)CR1-positive cells had migrated into the amniotic fluid and the amnion. The present findings suggest that fractalkine found in amniotic fluid may contribute to the immunodefence mechanism during pregnancy.
Shimoya
Koichiro
K
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-2 Yamada-oka, Suita City, Japan. shimoya@gyne.med.osaka-u.ac.jp
Zhang
Qing
Q
Tenma
Kumiko
K
Ota
Yukinobu
Y
Hashimoto
Kazumasa
K
Shizusawa
Yoshie
Y
Kimura
Tadashi
T
Koyama
Masayasu
M
Murata
Yuji
Y
D000650:Amnion / Q000166:cytology; D000653:Amniotic Fluid / Q000502:physiology*; D054428:Chemokine CX3CL1; D018925:Chemokines / Q000378:metabolism; D020523:Chemokines, CX3C / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000502:physiology*; D011262:Pregnancy Trimester, Second; D011263:Pregnancy Trimester, Third; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014327:Trophoblasts / Q000166:cytology
C515538:CX3CL1 protein, human; D054428:Chemokine CX3CL1; D018925:Chemokines; D020523:Chemokines, CX3C; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger