Placental interleukin-15 expression in recurrent miscarriage.
OBJECTIVE
Cytokines play a fundamental role at the feto-maternal interface. A dysregulation of the cytokine profile could be linked with fetal rejection. This study investigated differences in the expression of the Th1 cytokine interleukin-15 (IL-15) of normal and disturbed pregnancy.


METHODS
Analysis of IL-15 expression by immunohistochemistry and real-time RT-PCR in placental tissue from normal pregnancies, spontaneous miscarriage and recurrent miscarriage (RM) was performed.


RESULTS
Expression of IL-15 was upregulated on mRNA and protein level in the placenta of miscarriage patients, especially in patients with RM. Immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence double staining revealed extravillous trophoblast cells (EVT) as IL-15-expressing cells. Staining results were confirmed by real-time PCR (TaqMan).


CONCLUSIONS
Increased expression of IL-15 in the decidua of patients with RM may be linked to disturbed implantation and vascularization with consecutive placental and fetal rejection.
Toth
Bettina
B
Department of Gynecological Endocrinology and Fertility Disorders, Ruprechts-Karls University, Heidelberg, Germany. Bettina.toth@med.uni-heidelberg.de
Haufe
Thomas
T
Scholz
Christoph
C
Kuhn
Christina
C
Friese
Klaus
K
Karamouti
Maria
M
Makrigiannakis
Antonis
A
Jeschke
Udo
U
D000026:Abortion, Habitual / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006801:Humans; D007120:Immunochemistry; D019409:Interleukin-15 / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D010920:Placenta / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D011247:Pregnancy; D058408:Th1-Th2 Balance; D014327:Trophoblasts / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D015854:Up-Regulation
D019409:Interleukin-15