title: Aberrant alteration of vascular endothelial growth factor-family signaling in human tubal ectopic pregnancy: what is known and unknown?
abstract: More than 98% of ectopic pregnancies occur in the Fallopian tube. Because many facets of tubal ectopic pregnancy remain unclear, prediction, prevention and treatment of tubal ectopic pregnancy are still a major clinical challenge. Compelling evidence suggests that angiogenic growth factors are involved in normal and abnormal implantation. While acknowledging the importance of an intrauterine pregnancy requires the development of a local blood supply and angiogenesis, we hypothesize that the hypoxic- and estrogen-dependent regulation of vascular endothelial growth factor/placental growth factor expression, secretion, and signaling pathways that are possibly involved in the pathophysiology of tubal ectopic pregnancy. Our hypothesis may also lead to a new therapeutic strategy for women with tubal ectopic pregnancy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology/Endocrinology, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg 40530, Sweden. ruijin.shao@fysiologi.gu.se
authors.forename: Ruijin
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Shao
authors.forename: Junting
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: Håkan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Billig
mesh_terms: D004967:Estrogens / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000503:physiopathology; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000503:physiopathology; D000072483:Placenta Growth Factor; D011247:Pregnancy; D011257:Pregnancy Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D011271:Pregnancy, Ectopic / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011274:Pregnancy, Tubal / Q000503:physiopathology*; D040262:Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor / Q000502:physiology; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D004967:Estrogens; C000608036:PGF protein, human; D011257:Pregnancy Proteins; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D000072483:Placenta Growth Factor; D040262:Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor
keywords: VEGF; VEGF receptor; ectopic pregnancy; fallopian tube