title: The expression of Forkhead transcription factors in decidua and placenta in patients with missed abortion.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Forkhead transcription factors 3a (FOXO3a) has pleiotropic biological functions in the female reproductive tract. FOXO3a has a function in decidualization, in placental development, and also in inhibition of apoptosis. This study aims to investigate a possible role of FOXO3a in missed abortion.
  
  
  METHODS
  Decidual and placental tissue samples were obtained from the women with unwanted pregnancy as the control group and with missed abortion as the patient group. Immunohistochemistry technique was utilized to compare FOXO3a expression of the decidual cells in uterine decidual stroma and cytotrophoblast-syncytiotrophoblast cells in placental villous stroma. Immunohistochemistry was evaluated semiquantitatively utilizing the H-score technique. Results: It was demonstrated that H-Scores of FOXO3a expression in both uterine decidual stroma were increased in the missed abortion group (255.83 +/- 12.41) than in the normal pregnancy group (133.33 +/- 17.43). It was also shown that there was no difference between non-decidual area of the endometrium of the normal pregnancy and the missed abortion group (30.33 +/- 4.32; 39.66 +/- 14.30, respectively) and placental villous stroma (13.00 +/- 1.89; 13.00 +/- 1.67, respectively). However, the immunoreactivity of cytotrophoblast and syncytiotrophoblast cells significantly increased in the missed abortion group (18.83+1.47; 322.00 +/- 6.06, respectively) than in the normal pregnancy group (11.00 +/- 1.26; 254.00 +/- 8.17, respectively) (p < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data support the hypothesis that increased FOXO3a expression in missed abortion may prevent the discharge of dead fetus to maintain decidualization, prevention of oxidative stress, immunomodulation, and inhibition of apoptosis.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ozbilgin
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kahraman
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Turan
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Atay
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vatansever
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Inan
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ozçakir
mesh_terms: D000030:Abortion, Missed / Q000378:metabolism*; D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003656:Decidua / Q000378:metabolism*; D010064:Embryo Implantation; D005260:Female; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D010920:Placenta / Q000378:metabolism*; D010929:Placentation; D011247:Pregnancy; D011261:Pregnancy Trimester, First; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors