Genetic variants in the p53 pathway influence implantation and pregnancy maintenance in IVF treatments using donor oocytes

Effect of Different Concentrations of PRP on the Expression of Factors Involved in the Endometrial Receptivity in the Human Endometrial Cells from RIF Patients Compared to the Controls

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) has been suggested for the improvement of endometrial growth and receptivity in the patients with recurrent implantation failure (RIF). The aim of present study was to investigate the impact of different concentration of PRP on the expression of genes involved in the endometrial receptivity in the human endometrial cells from RIF and controls with thin and normal endometrium in vitro. In this cross-sectional study, endometrial biopsies were obtained from 14 healthy fertile women and 14 women with RIF. Endometrial cells from 4 different group (RIF and control with endometrial thickness < 7 mm and > 7 mm) were cultured with three different concentration of PRP 3%, 5% and 10%. Expression of leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), COX2 and P53, estrogen receptors (ERs) and progesterone receptors (PRs) genes were measured using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Protein expression levels of LIF, COX2 and p53 were evaluated using Western Blot method (WB). There was a significant decrease in the expression of PROA/b, ER2/b, LIF/b, COX2/b and P53/b genes in the RIF groups compared to the controls. Treatment with 5% and 10% PRP caused a significant increase in the gene expression of PRs, ERs, LIF/b, COX2/b and p53 in the RIF groups. Moreover, protein expression of COX2/b, LIF/b and p53/b increased following treatment with PRP in the RIF group with the endometrium thickness < 7 mm. PRP enhances expression of LIF, COX2, p53, ERs and PRs in the RIF patients with thin endometrium which may improve endometrium receptivity.

RAD51 and Infertility: A Review and Case-Control Study

RAD51 is a highly conserved recombinase involved in the strand invasion/exchange of double-stranded DNA by homologous single-stranded DNA during homologous recombination repair. Although a majority of existing literature associates RAD51 with the pathogenesis of various types of cancer, recent reports indicate a role of RAD51 in maintenance of fertility. The present study reviews the role of RAD51 and its interacting proteins in spermatogenesis/oogenesis and additionally reports the findings from the molecular genetic screening of RAD51 135 G > C polymorphism in infertile cases and controls. Fifty-nine articles from PubMed and Google Scholar related to the reproductive role of RAD51 were reviewed. For case-control study, the PCR-RFLP method was used to screen the RAD51 135 G > C polymorphism in 201 infertile cases (100 males, 101 females) and 201 age- and gender-matched healthy controls (100 males, 101 females) from Punjab, North-West India. The review of literature shows that RAD51 is indispensable for spermatogenesis and oogenesis in animal models. Reports on the role of RAD51 in human fertility are limited, however it is involved in the pathogenesis of infertility in both males and females. Molecular genetic analyses in the infertile cases and healthy controls showed no statistically significant difference in the genotypic and allelic frequencies for RAD51 135 G > C polymorphism, even after segregation of the cases by type of infertility (primary/secondary). Therefore, the present study concluded that the RAD51 135 G > C polymorphism was neither associated with male nor female infertility in North-West Indians. This is the first report on RAD51 135 G > C polymorphism and infertility.

Molecular Mechanism of Resveratrol and Its Therapeutic Potential on Female Infertility

Resveratrol is a polyphenol present in various plant sources. Studies have reported numerous potential health benefits of resveratrol, exhibiting anti-aging, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, and anti-carcinogenic activity. Due to the reported effects, resveratrol is also being tested in reproductive disorders, including female infertility. Numerous cellular, animal, and even human studies were performed with a focus on the effect of resveratrol on female infertility. In this review, we reviewed some of its molecular mechanisms of action and summarized animal and human studies regarding resveratrol and female infertility, with a focus on age-related infertility, polycystic ovary syndrome, and endometriosis.

Epigenetic role of LINE-1 methylation and key genes in pregnancy maintenance

Spontaneous abortion is a pregnancy complication characterized by complex and multifactorial etiology. About 5% of childbearing women are globally affected by early pregnancy loss (EPL) and most of them experience recurrence (RPL). Epigenetic mechanisms and controlled inflammation are crucial for pregnancy maintenance and genetic predispositions may increase the risk affecting the maternal-fetal crosstalk. Combined analyses of global methylation, inflammation and inherited predispositions may contribute to define pregnancy loss etiopathogenesis. LINE-1 epigenetic regulation plays crucial roles during embryo implantation, and its hypomethylation has been associated with senescence and several complex diseases. By analysing a group of 230 women who have gone through pregnancy interruption and comparing those experiencing spontaneous EPL (n = 123; RPL, 54.5%) with a group of normal pregnant who underwent to voluntary interruption (VPI, n = 107), the single statistical analysis revealed significant lower (P < 0.00001) LINE-1 methylation and higher (P < 0.0001) mean cytokine levels (CKs: IL6, IL10, IL17A, IL23) in EPL. Genotyping of the following SNPs accounted for different EPL/RPL risk odds ratio: F13A1 rs5985 (OR = 0.24; 0.06-0.90); F13B rs6003 (OR = 0.23; 0.047-1.1); FGA rs6050 (OR = 0.58; 0.33-1.0); CRP rs2808635/rs876538 (OR = 0.15; 0.014-0.81); ABO rs657152 (OR = 0.48; 0.22-1.08); TP53 rs1042522 (OR = 0.54; 0.32-0.92); MTHFR rs1801133/rs1801131 (OR = 2.03; 1.2-3.47) and FGB rs1800790 (OR = 1.97; 1.01-3.87), although Bonferroni correction did not reach significant outputs. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and logistic regression disclosed further SNPs positive/negative associations (e.g. APOE rs7412/rs429358; FGB rs1800790; CFH rs1061170) differently arranged and sorted in four significant PCs: PC1 (F13A, methylation, CKs); PC3 (CRP, MTHFR, age, methylation); PC4 (F13B, FGA, FGB, APOE, TP53, age, methylation); PC6 (F13A, CFH, ABO, MTHFR, TP53, age), yielding further statistical power to the association models. In detail, positive EPL risk association was with PC1 (OR = 1.81; 1.33-2.45; P < 0.0001) and negative associations with PC3 (OR = 0.489; 0.37-0.66; P < 0.0001); PC4 (OR = 0.72; 0.55-0.94; P = 0.018) and PC6 (OR = 0.61; 0.46-0.81; P = 0.001). Moreover, significant inverse associations were detected between methylation and CKs levels in the whole group (rIL10 = - 0.22; rIL17A = - 0.25; rIL23 = - 0.19; rIL6 = - 0.22), and methylation with age in the whole group, EPL and RPL subgroups (r2TOT = 0.147; r2EPL = 0.136; r2 RPL = 0.248), while VPI controls lost significance (r2VPI = 0.011). This study provides a valuable multilayer approach for investigating epigenetic abnormalities in pregnancy loss suggesting genetic-driven dysregulations and anomalous epigenetic mechanisms potentially mediated by LINE-1 hypomethylation. Women with unexplained EPL might benefit of such investigations, providing new insights for predicting the pregnancy outcome and for treating at risk women with novel targeted epidrugs.

USP7 promotes decidualization of ESCs by STAT3/PR axis during early pregnancy

Decidualization is an essential process for embryo implantation during early pregnancy. Defective decidualization is a critical leading cause of early pregnancy loss (EPL). Ubiquitin-specific protease 7 (USP7) is a deubiquitinating enzyme that is involved in uterine function. This study aimed to explore the underlying mechanism by which USP7 regulates decidualization in EPL. We found that USP7 was downregulated in the decidual tissue of EPL patients. Upregulation of USP7 enhanced decidualization in endometrial stromal cells (ESCs), with increased decidualized biomarkers IGFBP1 and PRL and progesterone receptor A/B (PR-A/B) expression. Moreover, we found that signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) is a direct target of USP7 in ESCs. USP7 bound to STAT3 by deubiquitination and increased STAT3 levels in ESCs. Suppression of STAT3 impeded the USP7-promoted cell viability, decidualization, and PR-A/B expression of ESCs. USP7 promoted the decidualization of ESCs through the STAT3/PR signaling pathway during early pregnancy, which provides new insight into the pathological mechanism of EPL and may contribute to the clinical treatment of EPL.

Association between TP53 Arg72Pro variant and recurrent pregnancy loss in the Greek population

OBJECTIVES

The present case-control study investigates whether TP53 Arg72Pro variant (rs1042522) serves as a risk factor for recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) in Greek women.

METHODS

The study group consisted of 100 patients with at least two miscarriages of unexplained etiology, before the 24th week of gestation. The control group included 106 women with no pregnancy loss history. DNA was extracted and genotyped using specific primers for PCR amplification of the Arg72 and Pro72 alleles. Sanger sequencing was used for the discrimination between heterozygotes and homozygotes for Arg72Pro variant.

RESULTS

This is the first study demonstrating the statistically significant higher frequency of TP53 Arg72Pro variant in Greek RPL women compared to controls (38% vs. 6.6%; OR=8.6682, 95% CI: 3.6446-20.6160; p<0.0001). GC genotype (Arg/Pro) and CC genotype (Pro/Pro) were statistically more common in RPL patients than in controls (16% vs. 1.9%; p=0.0027, and 22 vs. 4.7%; p=0.0008, respectively). C allele frequency was statistically significant higher in RPL group than in controls (30.0 vs. 5.7%; p<0.0001). According to the inheritance mode analysis, the model that best fit the data was the dominant model (OR=8.67, 95% CI=3.64-20.62; p<0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS

The is the first study disclosing strong evidence that TP53 rs1042522 is significantly associated with a higher risk for recurrent pregnancy loss in Greek women following a dominant model, thus, serving as a genetic marker for identifying women at increased risk of recurrent miscarriages.

Profiling the Influence of Gene Variants Related to Folate-Mediated One-Carbon Metabolism on the Outcome of In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) with Donor Oocytes in Recipients Receiving Folic Acid Fortification

Nutritional status and gene polymorphisms of one-carbon metabolism confer a well-known interaction that in pregnant women may affect embryo viability and the health of the newborn. Folate metabolism directly impacts nucleotide synthesis and methylation, which is of increasing interest in the reproductive medicine field. Studies assessing the genetic influence of folate metabolism on IVF treatments have currently been performed in women using their own oocytes. Most of these patients seeking to have a child or undergoing IVF treatments are advised to preventively intake folate supplies that restore known metabolic imbalances, but the treatments could lead to the promotion of specific enzymes in specific women, depending on their genetic variance. In the present study, we assess the influence of candidate gene variants related to folate metabolism, such as Serine Hydroxymethyltransferase 1 SHMT1 (rs1979276 and rs1979277), Betaine-Homocysteine S-Methyltransferase BHMT (rs3733890), Methionine synthase reductase MTRR (rs1801394), Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase MTHFR (rs1801131 and rs1801133), methionine synthase MTR (rs12749581), ATP Binding Cassette Subfamily B Member 1 ABCB1 (rs1045642) and folate receptor alpha FOLR1 (rs2071010) on the success of IVF treatment performed in women being recipients of donated oocytes. The implication of such gene variants seems to have no direct impact on pregnancy consecution after IVF; however, several gene variants could influence pregnancy loss events or pregnancy maintenance, as consequence of folic acid fortification.