title: Toll-like receptors expression in follicular cells of patients with poor ovarian response.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Poor ovarian response (POR) to gonadotropin stimulation has led to a significant decline in success rate of fertility treatment. The immune system may play an important role in pathophysiology of POR by dysfunctions of cytokines and the growth factor network, and the presence of ovarian auto-antibodies. The aim of this study is to investigate the expression of toll-like receptors (TLR) 1, 2, 4, 5, 6 and cyclooxygenase (COX) 2 genes in follicular cells and concentration of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8 and macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF), as major parts of innate immunity, in follicular fluid (FF) obtained from POR women in comparison with normal women.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this case-control study, 20 infertile POR patients and 20 normal women took part in this study and underwent controlled ovarian stimulation. The FF was obtained from the largest follicle (>18 mm). The FF was centrifuged and cellular pellet was then used for evaluation of expression of TLRs and COX2 genes by real-time PCR. FF was used for quantitative analysis for IL-6, IL-8 and MIF by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).
  
  
  RESULTS
  TLR1, 2, 4, 5, 6 and COX2 gene expression were significantly higher in POR (p<0.05). Concentration of IL-6, IL-8 and MIF proteins was significantly increased in POR compared with normal women (p<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings support the hypothesis that the immune system may be involved in pathophysiology of POR through TLRs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Seyed Abdolvahab
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Taghavi
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran ; Department of Endocrinology and Female Infertility at Reproductive Biomedicine Research Center, Royan Institute for Reproductive Biomedicine, ACECR, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mahnaz
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ashrafi
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran ; Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mehdi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mehdizadeh
authors.affiliation: Department of Embryology at Reproductive Biomedicine Research Center, Royan Institute for Reproductive Biomedicine, ACECR, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Leili
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Karimian
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran ; Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad Taghi
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Joghataie
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology and Female Infertility at Reproductive Biomedicine Research Center, Royan Institute for Reproductive Biomedicine, ACECR, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Reza
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Aflatoonian
keywords: Infertility; Innate immunity; MIF; Ovary; TLR
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