title: A High-Throughput Assay for the Detection of α-Dystroglycan N-Terminus in Human Uterine Fluid to Determine Uterine Receptivity.
abstract: Embryo implantation requires a healthy embryo and a receptive uterus. In women, the uterus remains a hostile environment and must undergo functional changes to convert to a receptive state for embryo implantation. Determining uterine receptivity is vital in IVF treatment, as the timing of embryo transfer needs to be synchronized with uterine receptivity. However, to date, no reliable biochemical tests are available to determine uterine receptivity. We recently established that removal of α-dystroglycan N-terminus (α-DG-N) from the uterine surface plays an important role in the establishment of uterine receptivity. Importantly, the α-DG-N removed from the uterine tissue enters into the uterine fluid, and the levels correlate with the tissue status of receptivity. Detection of α-DG-N in uterine fluid may therefore provide a nonsurgical approach to assess uterine receptivity. In this study, we first validated three monoclonal antibodies raised against α-DG-N in our system, and then established a sandwich ELISA suitable for the detection of α-DG-N in human uterine fluid. This ELISA detected significantly higher concentrations of α-DG-N in uterine fluid of women in the receptive phase. We believe this newly established α-DG-N ELISA may provide an important tool in the development of noninvasive strategies to detect uterine receptivity in women.
authors.affiliation: Implantation and Placental Development Laboratory, Centre for Reproductive Health, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Clayton, Victoria, Australia Department of Molecular and Translational Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Sophea
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Heng
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia Monash IVF, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Beverley
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Vollenhoven
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia Monash IVF, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Luk J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Rombauts
authors.affiliation: Implantation and Placental Development Laboratory, Centre for Reproductive Health, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Clayton, Victoria, Australia Department of Molecular and Translational Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia guiying.nie@hudson.org.au.
authors.forename: Guiying
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Nie
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001826:Body Fluids / Q000737:chemistry*; D002460:Cell Line; D049030:Dystroglycans / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D010064:Embryo Implantation / Q000502:physiology; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000379:methods*; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro; D057166:High-Throughput Screening Assays; D006801:Humans; D000072417:Protein Domains; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014599:Uterus / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D049030:Dystroglycans
keywords: ELISA; dystroglycan; receptivity; uterine lavage