Osteopontin expression in human decidua is associated with decidual natural killer cells recruitment and regulated by progesterone.
The involvement of the chemokine osteopontin has been proposed for maintaining successful pregnancy in mice and ruminants; however, little information of its function in human pregnancy is available. Osteopontin expression was assessed in decidua by RT-PCR and immunohistochemical staining in early pregnant women and RPL (recurrent pregnancy loss) patients. Osteopontin was expressed both in human decidual stromal cells and decidual natural killer (dNK) cells, and higher expression was detected in the later gestational phase compared to the early gestational phase. The osteopontin expression increased with pregnancy progression and higher osteopontin expression was correlated with a larger number of dNK cells. Compared with normal pregnancy, osteopontin expression and dNK cells accumulation were reduced significantly in RPL patients. Osteopontin expression was regulated by progesterone via an in vitro culture model. Our results indicated that osteopontin may play an important role in dNK recruitment and is an essential factor for successful pregnancy.
Qu
Xun
X
Department of Immunology, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 430030 Wuhan, People's Republic of China. quxun@sdu.edu.cn
Yang
Meixiang
M
Zhang
Weidong
W
Liang
Lu
L
Yang
Yongmei
Y
Zhang
Yan
Y
Deng
Biping
B
Gao
Wenjuan
W
Liu
Jia
J
Yang
Qifeng
Q
Kong
Beihua
B
Gong
Feili
F
D000328:Adult; D002465:Cell Movement; D003656:Decidua / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D053495:Osteopontin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011261:Pregnancy Trimester, First; D011374:Progesterone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017154:Stromal Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology
D012333:RNA, Messenger; D053495:Osteopontin; D011374:Progesterone