title: Is HLA-E a possible genetic marker relevant for natural conception?
abstract: HLA-E products, class Ib human leukocyte antigens, act in the immunology of human reproduction as modulators of the maternal immune system during pregnancy.
  
  
  
  To evaluate HLA-E role in the establishment of a viable pregnancy.
  
  
  
  HLA-E was genotyped by sequence-based typing (SBT) and analyzed for specific polymorphisms, comparing couples who underwent assisted reproduction treatment (ART) and fertile control couples.
  
  
  
  There was a significant difference in HLA-E allele and genotype distributions between ART couples and control couples. The allele HLA-E*01:03 was observed in 63.2% of ART men and in 35.1% of fertile men (P = 0.0032).
  
  
  
  These results suggest that HLA-E allelic variants may play a role in the modulation of immune responses in the context of the inability of natural conception and establishment of a viable pregnancy.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Imunogenética e Histocompatibilidade do Departamento de Genética da Universidade Federal do Paraná (UFPR), Curitiba (PR), Brasil.
authors.forename: Georgia Fernanda
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Gelmini
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Imunogenética e Histocompatibilidade do Departamento de Genética da Universidade Federal do Paraná (UFPR), Curitiba (PR), Brasil.
authors.forename: Cynthia Hernandes
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Imunogenética e Histocompatibilidade do Departamento de Genética da Universidade Federal do Paraná (UFPR), Curitiba (PR), Brasil.
authors.forename: Fabiola da Silva
authors.initials: FD
authors.lastname: Nardi
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Imunogenética e Histocompatibilidade do Departamento de Genética da Universidade Federal do Paraná (UFPR), Curitiba (PR), Brasil.|Instituto Carlos Chagas, ICC-Fiocruz-PR, Curitiba (PR), Brasil.
authors.forename: Pryscilla Fanini
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Wowk
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Imunogenética e Histocompatibilidade do Departamento de Genética da Universidade Federal do Paraná (UFPR), Curitiba (PR), Brasil.|Instituto Carlos Chagas, ICC-Fiocruz-PR, Curitiba (PR), Brasil.
authors.forename: Sibelle Botogosque
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Mattar
authors.affiliation: Centro de Medicina Reprodutiva Conceber, Curitiba (PR), Brasil.
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schuffner
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Imunogenética e Histocompatibilidade do Departamento de Genética da Universidade Federal do Paraná (UFPR), Curitiba (PR), Brasil.
authors.forename: Maria da Graça
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Bicalho
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Imunogenética e Histocompatibilidade do Departamento de Genética da Universidade Federal do Paraná (UFPR), Curitiba (PR), Brasil.
authors.forename: Valéria Maria Munhoz Sperandio
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Roxo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000483:Alleles; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D010064:Embryo Implantation / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D005298:Fertility / Q000276:immunology*; D005306:Fertilization / Q000276:immunology*; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro; D015870:Gene Expression; D005787:Gene Frequency; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007247:Infertility, Female / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D000097625:HLA-E Antigens
chemical_list: D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I; D000097625:HLA-E Antigens
keywords: HLA-E; assisted reproduction treatment; embryo implantation; natural conception; pregnancy