title: An association of IgG anti-laminin-1 autoantibodies with endometriosis in infertile patients.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Chemistry, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine and Dentistry, 2-5-1 Shikata-cho, Okayama 700-8558, Japan.
authors.forename: Junko
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Inagaki
authors.forename: Mayumi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sugiura-Ogasawara
authors.forename: Motoyoshi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nomizu
authors.forename: Mikiya
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nakatsuka
authors.forename: Katsuo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ikuta
authors.forename: Nobuharu
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Keiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kaihara
authors.forename: Kazuko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: Tatsuji
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yasuda
authors.forename: Yehuda
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shoenfeld
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Aoki
authors.forename: Eiji
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Matsuura
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; C478221:LAMB1 protein, human; D007797:Laminin; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C121346:laminin 1; C089141:laminin gamma 1; C084098:laminin A