Expression of certain HLA-I types in cleavage-stage embryos.
This study examined the expression of human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-G and HLA-I (which includes HLA-A, -B, -C, -E and -F, but is without HLA-G) in the cleavage embryo and its supernatant, and related the results to embryo development including growth rate and grade. In total, 136 day-3 cleavage embryos were used for detection of HLA-G and 24 embryos for HLA-I without HLA-G by immunohistochemistry. The expression of HLA-I was examined by western blot in the lysates of a further 63 day-3 cleavage embryos; soluble HLA-I in the culture supernatant of embryos with detectable HLA-I was also examined by western blot. It was found that 90 of 136 (66.2%) cleavage embryos expressed HLA-G, whereas 23 of 24 (95.8%) embryos expressed HLA-I without HLA-G. HLA-G expression typically showed an even and symmetrical pattern of distribution in each blastomere. HLA-I without HLA-G in cleavage-stage embryos is typically scattered around the blastomere surface. The expression of HLA-G but without HLA-I in cleavage-stage embryos was significantly associated with embryo grade (P < 0.001) and cell number (P = 0.03). In conclusion, HLA-I is expressed on day-3 cleavage embryos, and HLA-G expression on preimplantation embryos is related to embryo development, including embryo growth rate and embryo grade.
Wang
Qiong
Q
Reproductive Medicine Centre, First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China. wangqionggz@yahoo.com.cn
Zhuang
Guang-Lun
GL
Zhou
Can-Quan
CQ
Li
Tin-Chiu
TC
Li
Jie
J
Xu
Yan-Wen
YW
Gu
Xiong-Fei
XF
Li
Yu-Bin
YB
D001755:Blastocyst / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D002452:Cell Count; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002970:Cleavage Stage, Ovum / Q000378:metabolism*; D003470:Culture Media / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D047108:Embryonic Development / Q000235:genetics; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D006680:HLA Antigens / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D059951:HLA-G Antigens; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D011786:Quality Control; D013997:Time Factors
D003470:Culture Media; D006680:HLA Antigens; D059951:HLA-G Antigens; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I