Evaluation of thyroglobulin expression in murine reproductive organs during pregnancy.
OBJECTIVE
In pregnant women with antithyroglobulin antibody, prevalence of abortion is 2-4 fold higher compared to normal controls. Direct effect of such harmful autoantibodies on female reproductive organs may serve a role in pregnancy loss.


METHODS
Expression of thyroglobulin in decidua, placenta, and ovary of pregnant Balb/c mice ((Balb/cxBalb/c and Balb/cxC57BL/6) during early, middle, and late stages of pregnancy was evaluated. Expression of thyroglobulin was investigated in these tissues by semi-quantitative RT-PCR. In addition, polyclonal antithyroglobulin antibody was produced, and expression of thyroglobulin protein in aforesaid tissues was evaluated by immunohistochemistry and dot-blot analysis.


RESULTS
The results showed that thyroglobulin message is not expressed in placenta, decidua, or ovary in any stages of pregnancy. The same results were obtained at the protein level.


CONCLUSIONS
It is likely that antithyroglobulin antibodies have no direct detrimental effect on such organs in patients with thyroid autoimmunity suffering from recurrent abortion.
Immunology Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Ali
A
Moravej
Mahmood
M
Jeddi-Tehrani
Ali R
AR
Salek-Moghaddam
Pouneh
P
Dokouhaki
Roya
R
Ghods
Hodjatallah
H
Rabbani
Golnaz E
GE
Kazemi-Sefat
Mehdi
M
Shahbazi
Amir H
AH
Zarnani
D000026:Abortion, Habitual / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology; D000818:Animals; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology; D003433:Crosses, Genetic; D003656:Decidua / Q000378:metabolism; D004717:Endometrium / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005836:Genitalia, Female / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D010053:Ovary / Q000378:metabolism; D010920:Placenta / Q000378:metabolism; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013954:Thyroglobulin / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D013997:Time Factors; D014599:Uterus / Q000378:metabolism
D012333:RNA, Messenger; D013954:Thyroglobulin