title: T regulatory markers expression in unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortion.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate expression of glucocorticoid-induced tumor necrosis factor receptor (GITR), cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated antigen 4 (CTLA-4) and IL-10 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of 20 women with unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortion (URSA) compared to 20 normal non-pregnant women (NNP) during luteal phase in the window of implantation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) was performed using the Taqman method for expression of GITR and SYBR Green method for expression of CTLA-4 and IL-10.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Expression of CTLA-4 in the NNPs (median; interquartile range; 3; 1.8-10) was significantly higher than the URSAs (0.72; 0.26-3.81, p = 0.015). Expression of GITR in the NNPs (53; 10-139) was significantly higher than the URSAs (6; 3-27, p = 0.005). However, IL-10 expression in the URSAs was significantly higher than the NNPs, did not meet a significant value. A significant correlation was found between CTLA-4 and GITR expression in the study population (p = 0.0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Expression of CTLA-4 and GITR were significantly down-regulated in the URSAs compared to NNPs at the window of implantation, which shows the essential role of Treg cells in creating an immunological privileged site for fetus as an allograft at the maternal-fetal interface by high expression levels of CTLA-4 and GITR during a normal pregnancy.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine , Iran University of Medical Sciences , Tehran , Iran .|b Department of Anatomical Sciences, Mashhad Medical Science Branch , Islamic Azad University , Mashhad , Iran .
authors.forename: Bita
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Saifi
authors.affiliation: c 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
authors.affiliation: d Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Division of Immunogenetics , Iran University of Medical Sciences , Tehran , Iran .
authors.forename: Nader
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tajik
authors.affiliation: b Department of Anatomical Sciences, Mashhad Medical Science Branch , Islamic Azad University , Mashhad , Iran .
authors.forename: Mahmood
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Erfanian Ahmadpour
authors.affiliation: e Center of Pathological and Medical Diagnostic Services, Iranian Academic Center for Education, Culture & Research (ACECR), Mashhad Branch , Mashhad , Iran .
authors.forename: Rosita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Vakili
authors.affiliation: a Department of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine , Iran University of Medical Sciences , Tehran , Iran .
authors.forename: Fatemehsadat
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Amjadi
authors.affiliation: f Immunology Research Center , Faculty of Medicine , Mashhad University of Medical Sciences , Mashhad , Iran , and.
authors.forename: Narges
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Valizade
authors.affiliation: e Center of Pathological and Medical Diagnostic Services, Iranian Academic Center for Education, Culture & Research (ACECR), Mashhad Branch , Mashhad , Iran .
authors.forename: Sanaz
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ahmadi
authors.affiliation: f Immunology Research Center , Faculty of Medicine , Mashhad University of Medical Sciences , Mashhad , Iran , and.
authors.forename: Seyed Abdolrahim
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Rezaee
authors.affiliation: g Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Faculty of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences , Tehran , Iran.
authors.forename: Mehdi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mehdizadeh
mesh_terms: D000026:Abortion, Habitual / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism*; D060908:CTLA-4 Antigen / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D010064:Embryo Implantation; D005260:Female; D053450:Glucocorticoid-Induced TNFR-Related Protein / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000378:metabolism*; D008183:Luteal Phase / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D011247:Pregnancy; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D060908:CTLA-4 Antigen; C556706:CTLA4 protein, human; D053450:Glucocorticoid-Induced TNFR-Related Protein; C508609:IL10 protein, human; C491405:TNFRSF18 protein, human; D016753:Interleukin-10
keywords: CTLA-4; GITR; IL-10; unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortion