Association of genetic variants in Estrogen receptor (ESR)1 and ESR2 with susceptibility to recurrent pregnancy loss in Tunisian women: A case control study

Novel insights into the genetic architecture of pregnancy glycemic traits from 14,744 Chinese maternities

Glycemic traits are critical indicators of maternal and fetal health during pregnancy. We performed genetic analysis for five glycemic traits in 14,744 Chinese pregnant women. Our genome-wide association study identified 25 locus-trait associations, including established links between gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and the genes CDKAL1 and MTNR1B. Notably, we discovered a novel association between fasting glucose during pregnancy and the ESR1 gene (estrogen receptor), which was validated by an independent study in pregnant women. The ESR1-GDM link was recently reported by the FinnGen project. Our work enhances the findings in East Asian populations and highlights the need for independent studies. Further analyses, including genetic correlation, Mendelian randomization, and transcriptome-wide association studies, provided genetic insights into the relationship between pregnancy glycemic traits and hypertension. Overall, our findings advance the understanding of genetic architecture of pregnancy glycemic traits, especially in East Asian populations.

Genetic analyses of 104 phenotypes in 20,900 Chinese pregnant women reveal pregnancy-specific discoveries

Monitoring biochemical phenotypes during pregnancy is vital for maternal and fetal health, allowing early detection and management of pregnancy-related conditions to ensure safety for both. Here, we conducted a genetic analysis of 104 pregnancy phenotypes in 20,900 Chinese women. The genome-wide association study (GWAS) identified a total of 410 trait-locus associations, with 71.71% reported previously. Among the 116 novel hits for 45 phenotypes, 83 were successfully replicated. Among them, 31 were defined as potentially pregnancy-specific associations, including creatine and HELLPAR and neutrophils and ESR1, with subsequent analysis revealing enrichments in estrogen-related pathways and female reproductive tissues. The partitioning heritability underscored the significant roles of fetal blood, embryoid bodies, and female reproductive organs in pregnancy hematology and birth outcomes. Pathway analysis confirmed the intricate interplay of hormone and immune regulation, metabolism, and cell cycle during pregnancy. This study contributes to the understanding of genetic influences on pregnancy phenotypes and their implications for maternal health.

Bioinformatics-based analysis of the dialog between COVID-19 and RSA

Pregnant women infected with SARS-CoV-2 in early pregnancy may face an increased risk of miscarriage due to immune imbalance at the maternal-fetal interface. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the crosstalk between COVID-19 infection and recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA) remain poorly understood. This study aimed to elucidate the transcriptomic molecular dialog between COVID-19 and RSA. Based on bioinformatics analysis, 307 common differentially expressed genes were found between COVID-19 (GSE171110) and RSA (GSE165004). Common DEGs were mainly enriched in ribosome-related and cell cycle-related signaling pathways. Using degree algorithm, the top 10 hub genes (RPS27A, RPL5, RPS8, RPL4, RPS2, RPL30, RPL23A, RPL31, RPL26, RPL37A) were selected from the common DEGs based on their scores. The results of the qPCR were in general agreement with the results of the raw letter analysis. The top 10 candidate drugs were also selected based on P-values. In this study, we provide molecular markers, signaling pathways, and small molecule compounds that may associate COVID-19. These findings may increase the accurate diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19 patients.

Association of estrogen receptor and progesterone receptor genetic polymorphisms with recurrent pregnancy loss: A systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

Estrogen and progesterone play key roles in the maintenance of pregnancy, and their function is mediated via estrogen receptor 1 (ESR1)/estrogen receptor 2 (ESR2) and progesterone receptor (PGR), respectively. It has been suggested the genetic variations in ESR1, ESR2, and PGR may contribute to recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL); however, the available evidence remains controversial. This meta-analysis aimed to explore the relation of various polymorphisms in ESR1, ESR2, and PGR genes to the risk of RPL.

METHODS

A systematic literature search was conducted using PubMed and Scopus up to August 2023 to obtain relevant studies. The odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were computed and pooled with the use of random-effects models to test the associations.

RESULTS

A total of 31 studies with 12 different polymorphisms, including 5 polymorphisms for ESR1, 3 polymorphisms for ESR2, and 4 polymorphisms for PGR, were analyzed in this meta-analysis. Overall, no significant relationship was found between various polymorphisms of ESR1 and ESR2 with RPL in any of the genetic analysis models. PGR rs590688 (C > G) polymorphism was significantly related to the elevated risk of RPL under the dominant (OR = 1.67; 95 %CI: 1.15-2.44), allelic (OR = 1.55; 95 %CI: 1.13-2.12), and GC vs. CC (OR = 1.55; 95 %CI: 1.07-2.23) models. No significant association was identified for other variants of PGR gene.

CONCLUSION

Unlike estrogen receptors, variations in PGR rs590688 (C > G) may be linked to the increased risk of RPL. More studies are required to confirm this finding.

Maternal candidate gene variants, epigenetic factors, and susceptibility to idiopathic recurrent pregnancy loss: A systematic review

BACKGROUND

Recurrent pregnancy loss is defined as the loss of two or more pregnancies and is a distressing condition for couples.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the relationship between variants in the candidate susceptibility genes and epigenetic factors to identify risk factors for idiopathic recurrent pregnancy loss (iRPL).

SEARCH STRATEGY

A systematic literature search was performed using PubMed, Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, and Scopus databases. Insilico analysis was carried out using ShinyGO and STRING software.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Research papers examining the association between variations in genetic and epigenetic factors and iRPL.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Data were independently extracted by two authors.

MAIN RESULTS

In total, 83 research papers were finally selected for the present study. Among all the genes involved in the pathogenesis of recurrent pregnancy loss, polymorphisms in IL superfamily genes, VEGF, ESR, and MTHFR were the most investigated.

CONCLUSION

Polymorphisms in angiogenesis, immune tolerance, and thrombophilia pathway genes, which occur independently or synergistically, may lead to various complications during fetal development. Identification of multi-allele risk variants and epigenetic factors in women will be helpful in the identification of high-risk pregnancies.

PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER

Prospero CRD42021287315.

miRNA expression profiles of peripheral white blood cells from beef heifers with varying reproductive potential

Reproductive performance is the most critical factor affecting production efficiency in the cow-calf industry. Heifers with low reproductive efficiency may fail to become pregnant during the breeding season or maintain a pregnancy. The cause of reproductive failure often remains unknown, and the non-pregnant heifers are not identified until several weeks after the breeding season. Therefore, improving heifer fertility utilizing genomic information has become increasingly important. One approach is using microRNAs (miRNA) in the maternal blood that play an important role in regulating the target genes underlying pregnancy success and thereby in selecting reproductively efficient heifers. Therefore, the current study hypothesized that miRNA expression profiles from peripheral white blood cells (PWBC) at weaning could predict the future reproductive outcome of beef heifers. To this end, we measured the miRNA profiles using small RNA-sequencing in Angus-Simmental crossbred heifers sampled at weaning and retrospectively classified as fertile (FH, n = 7) or subfertile (SFH, n = 7). In addition to differentially expressed miRNAs (DEMIs), their target genes were predicted from TargetScan. The PWBC gene expression from the same heifers were retrieved and co-expression networks were constructed between DEMIs and their target genes. We identified 16 differentially expressed miRNAs between the groups (p-value ≤0.05 and absolute (log2 fold change ≥0.05)). Interestingly, based on a strong negative correlation identified from miRNA-gene network analysis with PCIT (partial correlation and information theory), we identified miRNA-target genes in the SFH group. Additionally, TargetScan predictions and differential expression analysis identified bta-miR-1839 with ESR1 , bta-miR-92b with KLF4 and KAT2B, bta-miR-2419-5p with LILRA4, bta-miR-1260b with UBE2E1, SKAP2 and CLEC4D, and bta-let-7a-5p with GATM, MXD1 as miRNA-gene targets. The miRNA-target gene pairs in the FH group are over-represented for MAPK, ErbB, HIF-1, FoxO, p53, mTOR, T-cell receptor, insulin and GnRH signaling pathways, while those in the SFH group include cell cycle, p53 signaling pathway and apoptosis. Some miRNAs, miRNA-target genes and regulated pathways identified in this study have a potential role in fertility; other targets are identified as novel and need to be validated in a bigger cohort that could help to predict the future reproductive outcomes of beef heifers.

mRNA Signatures in Peripheral White Blood Cells Predict Reproductive Potential in Beef Heifers at Weaning

Reproductive failure is a major contributor to inefficiency within the cow-calf industry. Particularly problematic is the inability to diagnose heifer reproductive issues prior to pregnancy diagnosis following their first breeding season. Therefore, we hypothesized that gene expression from the peripheral white blood cells at weaning could predict the future reproductive potential of beef heifers. To investigate this, the gene expression was measured using RNA-Seq in Angus-Simmental crossbred heifers sampled at weaning and retrospectively classified as fertile (FH, n = 8) or subfertile (SFH, n = 7) after pregnancy diagnosis. We identified 92 differentially expressed genes between the groups. Network co-expression analysis identified 14 and 52 hub targets. ENSBTAG00000052659, OLR1, TFF2, and NAIP were exclusive hubs to the FH group, while 42 hubs were exclusive to the SFH group. The differential connectivity between the networks of each group revealed a gain in connectivity due to the rewiring of major regulators in the SFH group. The exclusive hub targets from FH were over-represented for the CXCR chemokine receptor pathway and inflammasome complex, while for the SFH, they were over-represented for immune response and cytokine production pathways. These multiple interactions revealed novel targets and pathways predicting reproductive potential at an early stage of heifer development.

The Progress of Research on Genetic Factors of Recurrent Pregnancy Loss

Recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) is both mental and physical health problem affecting about 1-5% of women of childbearing age. The etiology of RPL is complex, involving chromosomal abnormalities, autoimmune diseases, metabolic disorders, and endometrial dysfunction. The causes of abortion are still unknown in more than 50% of these cases. With the development of science and technology, an increasing number of scholars focus on this field and find that genetic factors may play an essential role in unexplained RPL, such as embolism-related genes, immune factor-related genes, and chromosomal numeric, and structural variation. This review summarizes the genetic factors associated with RPL, including genetic mutations and genetic polymorphisms, chromosomal variants, and chromosomal polymorphisms. Many related genetic factors have been found to be demographically and geographically relevant, some of which can be used for risk prediction or screening for the etiology of RPL. However, it is difficult to predict and prevent RPL due to uncertain pathogenesis and highly variable clinical presentation. Therefore, the genetic factors of RPL still need plentiful research to obtain a more accurate understanding of its pathogenesis and to provide more detection means for the screening and prevention of RPL.

Network Pharmacology and Molecular Docking Approach to Reveal the Immunotherapeutic Mechanism of Cuscutae Semen in Treating Thin Endometrium

Objective. Thin endometrium is considered as a leading cause of infertility, recurrent pregnancy loss, and repeated implantation failure. The seed of Cuscutae Semen (CS) has been used to prevent aging and improve sexual function in Traditional Chinese Medicine. However, the pharmacological mechanism of CS in preventing and treating thin endometrium remains to be elucidated. Methods. Three public databases, TCMSP, GeneCards, and OMIM, were searched to collect the main active compounds and putative molecules of CS, as well as the targets of thin endometrium, respectively. The CS and thin endometrium common targets were subject to protein-protein interaction (PPI) analysis followed by functional enrichment analysis. The best binding mode of CS compounds and common target proteins was evaluated by molecular docking and analysis in the AutoDockTools. Results. In total, 11 main active compounds, 102 drug target proteins, and 70 CS and thin endometrium common targets were identified. There were 68 nodes with 722 edges in the PPI network; HIF1A, MYC, ESR1, and EGFR were the top 4 targets. After functional enrichment analysis, it was revealed that the therapeutic effects of active compounds of CS on thin endometrium were achieved through cellular response to chemical stress, transcription regulator, DNA-binding transcription factor binding, chemical carcinogenesis-receptor activation, lipid, and atherosclerosis. The molecular docking analysis revealed that the 3 active compounds of CS, quercetin, matrine, and isorhamnetin, have good binding ability with their targets, HIF1A, MYC, ESR1, and EGFR. Conclusion. Our study uncovers the main active compounds in CS and their corresponding targets related to thin endometrium which explains the pharmacological mechanism underlying therapeutic effects of CS on thin endometrium.

Role of polymorphisms on the Recurrent Pregnancy Loss: A systematic review, Meta-analysis and bioinformatic analysis

Recurrent miscarriage (RM) is a major reproductive health issue. RM is a multi-factorial disease, and is affected by environmental, genetic, and epigenetic factors. Genetics has a common role in recurrent miscarriage occurrence. It seems that molecular genetics has a great role in RSA incidence. So, in these years, RM has become for a major subject of genetics research. There are many genes that are involved in each phase for successful reproduction. This research aimed to evaluate the effect of all studied polymorphisms in studies on RSA that have not been included in any meta-analysis. PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases were recruited to investigate the related articles. The systematic review results identified 143 studies worldwide. Thirteen genes have been included in assessing the case-control studies. Sixty-four SNPs were recruited to assess the association between genetic factors and RSA susceptibility. Ninety-two studies containing twenty two SNPs (from 10 genes) were included in the quantitative analysis. Bioinformatic analysis indicated that rs12722482 showed "Damaging Status" by double servers, and rs315952 and rs854560 had "Possibly damaging" status in the PolyPhen-2 server. MethPrimer server indicated that there is "CpG Island" in the rs10895068, rs1130355, and rs41557518 variants, and rs10895068-G allele makes a CpG dinucleotide which can change the gene methylation and result in altering the gene expression. So, further studies on rs12722482 and rs10895068 can demonstrate valuable results. To the best of our knowledge, this systematic review has covered the all studied polymorphisms of HLA-C, HLA-G, PON1, AGTR1, TAFI, FAS, FAS-L, ESR1, PGR, CTLA-4, MMP-2, MMP-3, MMP-9, and IL1RN for the first time. Also, we did a novel meta-analysis for AGTR1 rs5186, TAFI rs1926447, rs3742264, HLA-G rs1063320, rs1233334, rs1736936, rs2249863, PON1 rs662, rs854560, FAS rs2234767, rs1800682, FAS-L rs763110, ESR1, rs9340799, rs3798759, PGR rs1042838, CTLA4 rs4553808, rs5742909, rs231775, rs3087243, and MMP-2 rs243865 and updated statistical finding for rs2234693 and rs371194629. Rs2234693, rs9340799, rs231775, and rs371194629 demonstrated a significant association with RSA risk. Some variations showed significant association, while further studies are suggested to confirm the results. Finally, Rs4553808 and rs5742909 revealed no significant deviation in the results. It is suggested that these SNPs may be excluded from subsequent case-control studies or other analyses.

Congenital disorders of estrogen biosynthesis and action

Estrogens regulate pubertal development and reproductive function in women, spermatogenesis in men, and bone turnover and metabolic conditions in individuals of both sexes. Estradiol, the major estrogen in humans, is synthesized from testosterone by the action of aromatase and exerts its effects though binding to estrogen receptors. Germline loss- and gain-of-function variants in CYP19A1, the gene encoding aromatase, lead to aromatase deficiency and aromatase excess syndrome, respectively. Germline loss-of-function variants in ESR1, the gene encoding estrogen receptor α, are known to cause of estrogen insensitivity/resistance. In addition, rare variants in ESR1 and ESR2 have been implicated in various disease phenotypes. Clinical studies on these rare endocrine disorders provided clues to understand the biological functions of estrogens in the human body. This review introduces the genetic basis, phenotypes, and current management procedures of congenital disorders in estrogen biosynthesis and action.

Genetic Regulation of Physiological Reproductive Lifespan and Female Fertility

There is substantial genetic variation for common traits associated with reproductive lifespan and for common diseases influencing female fertility. Progress in high-throughput sequencing and genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have transformed our understanding of common genetic risk factors for complex traits and diseases influencing reproductive lifespan and fertility. The data emerging from GWAS demonstrate the utility of genetics to explain epidemiological observations, revealing shared biological pathways linking puberty timing, fertility, reproductive ageing and health outcomes. The observations also identify unique genetic risk factors specific to different reproductive diseases impacting on female fertility. Sequencing in patients with primary ovarian insufficiency (POI) have identified mutations in a large number of genes while GWAS have revealed shared genetic risk factors for POI and ovarian ageing. Studies on age at menopause implicate DNA damage/repair genes with implications for follicle health and ageing. In addition to the discovery of individual genes and pathways, the increasingly powerful studies on common genetic risk factors help interpret the underlying relationships and direction of causation in the regulation of reproductive lifespan, fertility and related traits.

Effects of Soybean Isoflavone and Astragalus Polysaccharide Mixture on Colostrum Components, Serum Antioxidant, Immune and Hormone Levels of Lactating Sows

The objectives of this study were to investigate the effects of soybean isoflavone (SI) and astragalus polysaccharide (APS) mixture on the colostrum components, serum antioxidant, immune and hormone levels of lactating sows. A total of 72 healthy Yorkshire × Landrace lactating sows, were randomly divided into four treatments with six replicates and three lactating sows for each replicate. The control group was fed the basal diet, while the experimental groups were fed the basal diet with 100, 200 and 300 mg/kg SI and APS mixture in the form of powder, respectively. Compared with the control group, (a) the total lactation yield of the 200 mg/kg group was significantly higher (p < 0.05) at 21 days, (b) there was no significant difference in colostrum composition, (c) TG, CHO and MDA content in each treatment group were significantly decreased (p < 0.05), (d) IgA, GH, IGF-1, TNF-α and SOD contents in the 200 mg/kg group were significantly increased (p < 0.05). The SI and APS mixture could improve the average daily feed intake, lactation yield, serum antioxidant activities, immune function, and hormone levels of lactating sows, and the optimum dosage in this study was 200 mg/kg.