title: Decreased β-catenin expression in first-trimester villi and decidua of patients with recurrent spontaneous abortion.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We aimed to study the relation between Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway and recurrent spontaneous abortion through investigating the expression of β-catenin and Dickkof-1 in first-trimester villi and decidua of recurrent spontaneous abortion patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Villous and decidual tissues were collected from 40 women (20 patients with recurrent spontaneous abortion and 20 patients with normal, early pregnancy). Western blots were used to measure the protein levels of β-catenin in villi and decidua, and the localization of β-catenin was investigated by immunohistochemistry. Quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction was used to quantify the mRNA levels of β-catenin and Dickkof-1 in villi and decidua, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our results indicated that β-catenin was expressed predominantly in plasma membranes of the villous cytotrophoblasts and glandular epithelium. What's more, its expression significantly decreased at both mRNA and protein levels, whereas the mRNA levels of Dickkof-1 significantly increased in villi and decidua of the recurrent spontaneous abortion group compared with the normal control group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We therefore speculated that the downregulated Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway might be associated with the process of the pathogenesis of recurrent spontaneous abortion.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, China.|Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Yantai Yuhuangding Hospital, Yantai, China.
authors.forename: Shuhong
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Central Laboratory, Yantai Yuhuangding Hospital, Yantai, China.
authors.forename: Ning
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Central Laboratory, Yantai Yuhuangding Hospital, Yantai, China.
authors.forename: Peng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Central Laboratory, Yantai Yuhuangding Hospital, Yantai, China.
authors.forename: Yanwei
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, China.
authors.forename: Yongjie
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, China.
authors.forename: Xietong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000026:Abortion, Habitual / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D002681:China; D002824:Chorionic Villi / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D003656:Decidua / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D015536:Down-Regulation; D005260:Female; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011261:Pregnancy Trimester, First; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D051176:beta Catenin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; C495270:CTNNB1 protein, human; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D051176:beta Catenin
keywords: decidua; dickkof-1; recurrent spontaneous abortion; villi; β-catenin