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Hum. Reprod. Advance Access originally published online on March 3, 2008
Human Reproduction 2008 23(5):1159-1169; doi:10.1093/humrep/den031
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© The Author 2008. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org

Coelomic cells show apoptosis via Fas/FasL system: a comparative study between healthy human pregnancies and missed miscarriages

A. Kaponis1,3, A. Skyrlas1, N. Zagorianakou2, I. Georgiou1, V. Passa2, E. Paraskevaidis1 and G. Makrydimas1

1 Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ioannina University School of Medicine, Ioannina, Greece 2 Department of Pathology, Ioannina University School of Medicine, Ioannina, Greece

3 Correspondence address. Poutetsi 2, 45332 Ioannina, Greece. Tel: +30-26510-99608/6972-233270; Fax: +30-26510-99224; E-mail: kaponisapostolos{at}hotmail.com

BACKGROUND: The Fas/Fas ligand (FasL) system represents one of the main apoptotic pathways controlling placental apoptosis throughout gestation. In the current study, we have examined the Fas/FasL protein expression and the apoptotic incidents of coelomic cells, amniotic cells and trophoblastic tissue in first trimester human pregnancies and missed miscarriages (MM).

METHODS: Protein expression was determined by immunofluoresence, western blotting analysis, immunohistochemistry and indirectly by RT–PCR, whereas apoptotic cell death was assessed by in situ DNA fragmentation analysis.

RESULTS: Coelomic cells express Fas/FasL proteins, can undergo apoptosis and were the only cells in which apoptosis, Fas protein expression and FasL protein expression were accordingly increased along with gestational age (P = 0.001, P = 0.008; P = 0.012, respectively). In contrast, amniotic cells and trophoblast showed a consistency in the expression levels of Fas/FasL proteins in healthy pregnancies. MM were accompanied by increased Fas/FasL protein expression in all examined samples (P < 0.001). The increase of Fas/FasL protein expression was accompanied by proportional increase of apoptotic incidents among the coelomic cell population (P = 0.023, P = 0.009, respectively), whereas amniotic cells and trophoblast appeared to be resistant to Fas-induced apoptosis. The lowest expression of Fas/FasL proteins and the minimum occurrence of apoptotic incidents were detected in the trophoblast.

CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that there is a different regulation and function of the Fas/FasL system in early human pregnancies. Aberration of the Fas-mediated apoptosis may represent one of the execution-step necessary for pregnancy loss in MM cases.

Key words: coelomic cells/Fas/FasL/missed miscarriage/pregnancy

Submitted on July 7, 2007; resubmitted on November 24, 2007; accepted on January 20, 2008.


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