title: Prospective study evaluating the effect of mifepristone on E-cadherin expression in villi in early pregnancy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  E-cadherin plays an important regulatory role in implantation, embryo development and placentation. This study aimed to determine the effect of mifepristone on E-cadherin expression in human villi in early pregnancy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty healthy women seeking elective pregnancy termination at 5-7 weeks of gestation were recruited. Of these, 22 women chose medical termination (mifepristone-treated group) and took 25mg mifepristone every 12h for 3 days and 600μg buccal misoprostol on the morning of the fourth day. The other 18 women underwent vacuum aspiration (control group). Following collection of villi, E-cadherin protein expression was assessed by immunohistochemical analysis, and E-cadherin mRNA expression was assessed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction.
  
  
  RESULTS
  E-cadherin protein expression was significantly higher (p<0.05) in villous cytotrophoblast cells in the mifepristone-treated group compared with the control group. E-cadherin mRNA expression was also significantly higher (p<0.01) in the mifepristone-treated group compared with the control group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  E-cadherin expression in villi may be involved in mifepristone-induced pregnancy termination.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, People's Republic of China. Electronic address: limingjiang1963@126.com.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000021:Abortifacient Agents, Steroidal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000028:Abortion, Induced; D000328:Adult; D015820:Cadherins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics; D002824:Chorionic Villi / Q000737:chemistry*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015735:Mifepristone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000021:Abortifacient Agents, Steroidal; D015820:Cadherins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D015735:Mifepristone
keywords: Cytotrophoblast; E-cadherin; Mifepristone; Villi