Glycodelin Protein and mRNA Is Down-regulated in Human First Trimester Abortion and Partially Up-regulated in Mole Pregnancy

Bettina Toth ¹, Karin Roth ¹, Christiane Kunert-Keil ¹, Christoph Scholz ¹, Sandra Schulze ¹, Ioannis Mylonas ¹, Klaus Friese ¹ and Udo Jeschke ^1*

¹ Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology – Großhadern (BT,KR,KF) and Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology – Innenstadt (KR,CS,SS,IM,KF,UJ), Ludwig-Maximilians University, Munich, Germany, and Department of Pathophysiology, EMAU Greifswald, Karlsburg, Germany (CK-K)

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: udo.jeschke{at}med.uni-muenchen.de.

Submitted on December 18, 2007
Accepted on 15 January 2008

	Abstract

Glycodelin (Gd) is a major reproductive glycoprotein and a mediator for immunomodulatory effects directed to cellular, humoral and innate immunity. Human pregnancy depends on a diversity of physiologic processes including modulation of maternal immunosystem. We evaluated the expression of Gd protein and mRNA in first trimester decidual tissue of normal pregnancies and spontaneous abortion as well as hydatidiform moles. Furthermore, in vitro experiments on endometrial cancer cells to analyze the effect of hCG on Gd regulation were performed. In decidual tissue of abortion patients, Gd expression was significantly reduced compared to normal gestation, which was confirmed by in situ hybridization. In mole pregnancy, an up regulation of Gd in the first 8 weeks of pregnancy was present. Gd is a main product of decidual tissue in the first trimester of human pregnancy. Reduced Gd expression in abortive pregnancy could lead to an increased activation of the maternal immunosystem thus causing rejection of the developing fetus. Moreover, Gd expression in endometrial cancer cells in vitro could be stimulated by addition of hCG. Therefore, we speculate that hCG could be one of the factors regulating Gd expression as hCG is down regulated in women with abortion and up regulated in mole pregnancy. In addition, we found a positive feedback loop in glycodelin and hCG expression in human pregnancy.

Key Words: glycodelin, decidua, abortion, hydaditiform mole, in situ hybridization, immunocytochemistry, histochemistry

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