An association of IgG anti-laminin-1 autoantibodies with endometriosis in infertile patients.
BACKGROUND
Laminin-1, a multifunctional glycoprotein of the basement membrane, is thought to be important in embryogenesis, embryonic implantation, and placentation. We recently showed that serum IgG anti-laminin-1 autoantibodies (auto-Abs) are associated with recurrent first-trimester miscarriages. The present study assessed the clinical significance of anti-laminin-1 Abs with infertility, accompanied with or without endometriosis.


METHODS
Sixty-eight infertile patients who underwent laparoscopy or laparotomy and 39 healthy non-pregnant women were tested for IgG anti-laminin-1 Abs. The association between the Abs and endometriosis was analysed. The presence of laminin-1 mRNA was detected in endometriotic lesions.


RESULTS
Twenty infertile patients were positive for anti-laminin-1 Abs. The Ab levels in those patients were significantly higher than those in healthy non-pregnant women (P = 0.0005). The presence of the Abs was significantly associated with endometriosis in those patients (P = 0.0096). The Abs recognized a particular domain, i.e., the laminin-alpha1 chain G domain. mRNA encoding laminin-alpha1, -beta1, and -gamma1 chains was expressed in 90% of endometriotic lesions.


CONCLUSIONS
IgG anti-laminin-1 Abs were significantly associated with endometriosis in infertile patients. The Abs might be clinically important in the development of autoimmune-mediated reproductive failures and the assessment of the Abs may provide a novel non-invasive diagnosis of endometriosis.
Inagaki
Junko
J
Department of Cell Chemistry, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine and Dentistry, 2-5-1 Shikata-cho, Okayama 700-8558, Japan.
Sugiura-Ogasawara
Mayumi
M
Nomizu
Motoyoshi
M
Nakatsuka
Mikiya
M
Ikuta
Katsuo
K
Suzuki
Nobuharu
N
Kaihara
Keiko
K
Kobayashi
Kazuko
K
Yasuda
Tatsuji
T
Shoenfeld
Yehuda
Y
Aoki
Koji
K
Matsuura
Eiji
E
D000328:Adult; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004715:Endometriosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood*; D007247:Infertility, Female / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology*; D007797:Laminin / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism
D001323:Autoantibodies; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; C478221:LAMB1 protein, human; D007797:Laminin; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C121346:laminin 1; C089141:laminin gamma 1; C084098:laminin A