title: The liver x receptor in correlation with other nuclear receptors in spontaneous and recurrent abortions.
abstract: The liver X receptors (LXRs) have been shown to be crucially involved in maternal-fetal cholesterol transport and placentation. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression pattern and frequency of LXR under normal physiological circumstances and in spontaneous abortion and/or recurrent miscarriage. A total of 29 (12 physiologic pregnancies/10 spontaneous abortions/7 recurrent miscarriages) human pregnancies in first trimester were analysed for LXR expression. Expression changes were evaluated by immunohistochemistry for receptor and quantitative RT-PCR (TaqMan) was performed to determine the level of LXR mRNA expression. We also stained for RXR α and PPAR γ as possible heterodimers of LXR. LXR expression was downregulated in the syncytiotrophoblast of spontaneous abortion placentas compared to normal pregnancy. In recurrent miscarriage there was a trend for a downregulation. Decidua showed an even stronger downregulation in both groups. In the syncytiotrophoblast we found a positive correlation for the combination of LXR/PPAR γ in abortions and a negative correlation for LXR/RXR α . In addition, double-immunofluorescence staining showed that LXR as well as RXR α and PPAR γ are expressed by the extravillous trophoblast. Finally, RXR α and LXR showed coexpression in the same extravillous trophoblast cells. To conclude, our data show that LXR expression is decreased in miscarriage.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Campus Innenstadt, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 80337 Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Knabl
authors.forename: Aurelia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pestka
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hüttenbrenner
authors.forename: Torsten
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Plösch
authors.forename: Regina
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ensenauer
authors.forename: Lena
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Welbergen
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hutter
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Günthner-Biller
authors.forename: Udo
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Jeschke