Expression of leukemia inhibitory factor and its receptor is not altered in the decidua and chorionic villi of human anembryonic pregnancy.
BACKGROUND
Uterine expression of leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) is absolutely essential for mouse, and critical for human, embryo implantation. However LIF is not required for post-implantation development of mouse embryo. The objective of this study was to examine the role of LIF system in post-implantation stage of human pregnancy.


METHODS
Tissues from 25 patients with anembryonic pregnancy (AP; blighted ovum) and 25 matched patients with normal pregnancy (NP) were collected. LIF and its receptor beta (LIF-Rbeta) expression in the decidua and chorionic villi were analyzed by semi-quantitative reverse transcription and polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), real-time quantitative PCR and immunohistochemical study.


RESULTS
LIF mRNA levels were not different either between different tissues (decidua vs chorionic villi) or between different patients (NP vs AP). LIF-Rbeta mRNA levels were significantly higher in chorionic villi than in decidua but were not different between NP and AP. Immunohistochemical staining supported these findings and showed a predominate expression of LIF-Rbeta in the trophoblast cells.


CONCLUSIONS
This study concluded that at early human post-implantation stage, LIF is produced from both decidua and chorionic villi and may exert its major action on trophoblasts. A baseline expression of LIF and LIF-Rbeta is probably needed for early pregnancy, but AP cannot be accounted for by the defective expression of either LIF or LIF-Rbeta in most circumstances.
Chen
Hsin-Fu
HF
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, College of Medicine and the Hospital, National Taiwan University.
Chao
Kuang-Han
KH
Shew
Jin-Yuh
JY
Yang
Yu-Shih
YS
Ho
Hong-Nerng
HN
D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002824:Chorionic Villi / Q000378:metabolism*; D003199:Computer Systems; D003656:Decidua / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D053605:Leukemia Inhibitory Factor; D053680:Leukemia Inhibitory Factor Receptor alpha Subunit; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D018121:Receptors, Cytokine / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D053606:Receptors, OSM-LIF
D015850:Interleukin-6; C507837:LIF protein, human; C507840:LIFR protein, human; D053605:Leukemia Inhibitory Factor; D053680:Leukemia Inhibitory Factor Receptor alpha Subunit; C507838:Lif protein, mouse; C507841:Lifr protein, mouse; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D018121:Receptors, Cytokine; D053606:Receptors, OSM-LIF