title: Endometrial expression of β3 integrin, calcitonin and plexin-B1 in the window of implantation in women with unexplained infertility.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Endometrial receptivity plays a key role in the establishment of successful implantation and its impairment may contribute to subfertility and limit the assisted reproduction techniques (ART) success.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of present study was to investigate endometrial receptivity in terms of β3 integrin, calcitonin and plexin-B1 expression in women with unexplained infertility.
  
  
  METHODS
  We evaluated expression of β3 integrin, calcitonin and plexin-B1 through mRNA level measurement with real-time RT-PCR, in the endometrium of 16 infertile women with unexplained infertility and 10 fertile women. Endometrial biopsies were collected during a single menstrual cycle on postovulatory day LH+7 in each subject.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significant differences regarding β3 integrin and calcitonin expression levels found between patients with unexplained infertility and the fertile women. Endometrial plexin-B1 expression levels showed no significant difference between fertile and infertile women. There were significant correlations between expression of β3 integrin with calcitonin and plexin-B1 in fertile and infertile women.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Reduced in endometrial expression of β3 integrin and calcitonin alone or together may contribute to unexplained infertility and these genes could account as the potential molecular markers of infertility.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran.
authors.forename: Mehran
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dorostghoal
authors.affiliation: Hematology, Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Hamid-O-Allah
authors.initials: HO
authors.lastname: Ghaffari
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Imam Khomeini Hospital, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.
authors.forename: Nahid
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Shahbazian
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran.
authors.forename: Maryam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mirani
keywords: Calcitonin; Implantation; Plexin-B1; Unexplained Infertility; β3 integrin