Protein expression in human cumulus cells as an indicator of blastocyst formation and pregnancy success.
OBJECTIVE
The goal for the present study was to implement a technique for protein extraction and identification in human cumulus cells (CCs).


METHODS
Forty samples of CCs were collected after ovum pick-up from patients undergoing intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). Samples were split into the blastocyst group (n = 10), including patients in which all embryos converted into blastocysts, and the non-blastocyst group (n = 10), including patients in which none of the embryos reached the blastocyst stage or the positive-pregnancy (n = 10) and negative-pregnancy group (n = 10). Proteins were extracted and injected into a liquid chromatography system coupled to a mass spectrometer. The spectra were processed and used to search a database.


RESULTS
There were 87 different proteins in samples from the blastocyst and non-blastocyst groups, in which 30 were exclusively expressed in the blastocyst group and 17 in the non-blastocyst group. Among the 72 proteins detected in the pregnancy groups, 19 were exclusively expressed in the positive, and 16 were exclusively expressed in the negative-pregnancy group.


CONCLUSIONS
CC proteomics may be useful for predicting pregnancy success and the identification of patients that should be included in extended embryo culture programs.
Fertility Medical Group, Av. Brigadeiro Luis Antônio, 4545, São Paulo, SP, 01401-002, Brazil.|Disciplina de Urologia, Área de Reprodução Humana, Departamento de Cirurgia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo-UNIFESP, Rua Embaú, 231, São Paulo, SP, 04039-060, Brazil.|Instituto Sapientiae-Centro de Estudos e Pesquisa em Reprodução Humana Assistida, Rua Vieira Maciel, 62, São Paulo, SP, 04503-040, Brazil.
Daniela Paes Almeida Ferreira
DP
Braga
Fertility Medical Group, Av. Brigadeiro Luis Antônio, 4545, São Paulo, SP, 01401-002, Brazil.|Instituto Sapientiae-Centro de Estudos e Pesquisa em Reprodução Humana Assistida, Rua Vieira Maciel, 62, São Paulo, SP, 04503-040, Brazil.
Amanda Souza
AS
Setti
Disciplina de Urologia, Área de Reprodução Humana, Departamento de Cirurgia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo-UNIFESP, Rua Embaú, 231, São Paulo, SP, 04039-060, Brazil.
Edson Guimarães
EG
Lo Turco
Disciplina de Urologia, Área de Reprodução Humana, Departamento de Cirurgia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo-UNIFESP, Rua Embaú, 231, São Paulo, SP, 04039-060, Brazil.
Fernanda Bertuccez
FB
Cordeiro
Centro Pluridisciplinar de Pesquisas Químicas, Biológicas e Agronômicas (CPQBA)-Universidade de Campinas-UNICAMP, Campinas, SP, 13083-970, Brazil.
Elaine Cristina
EC
Cabral
Instituto Sapientiae-Centro de Estudos e Pesquisa em Reprodução Humana Assistida, Rua Vieira Maciel, 62, São Paulo, SP, 04503-040, Brazil.
Sylvia Sanches
SS
Cortezzi
Instituto Sapientiae-Centro de Estudos e Pesquisa em Reprodução Humana Assistida, Rua Vieira Maciel, 62, São Paulo, SP, 04503-040, Brazil.
Erika
E
Ono
Fertility Medical Group, Av. Brigadeiro Luis Antônio, 4545, São Paulo, SP, 01401-002, Brazil.
Rita Cássia Sávio
RC
Figueira
Laboratório ThoMSon de Espectrometria de Massas-Instituto de Química, Universidade de Campinas-UNICAMP, Campinas, SP, 13083-970, Brazil.
Marcos Nogueira
MN
Eberlin
Fertility Medical Group, Av. Brigadeiro Luis Antônio, 4545, São Paulo, SP, 01401-002, Brazil. edson@fertility.com.br.|Disciplina de Urologia, Área de Reprodução Humana, Departamento de Cirurgia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo-UNIFESP, Rua Embaú, 231, São Paulo, SP, 04039-060, Brazil. edson@fertility.com.br.
Edson
E
Borges
D001755:Blastocyst / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D002853:Chromatography, Liquid; D054885:Cumulus Cells / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D004624:Embryo Transfer / Q000379:methods; D047108:Embryonic Development / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D006801:Humans; D009865:Oocytes / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D040901:Proteomics
Blastocyst; Cumulus cell; Mass spectrometry; Pregnancy; Proteomics