Sex hormone-binding globulin and corticosteroid-binding globulin mRNA levels in infertile women with luteal phase deficiency

Screening and identification of endometrial proteins as novel potential biomarkers for repeated implantation failure

Inadequate endometrial receptivity may be responsible for the low implantation rate of transferred embryos in in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatments. Patients with repeated implantation failure (RIF) impact the clinical pregnancy rate for IVF. We collected endometrial tissue during the implantation window of hysteroscopy biopsies from September 2016 to December 2019 and clinical data were collected simultaneously. Patients were divided into RIF and pregnant controls group according to pregnancy outcomes. A total of 82 differentially expressed endometrial proteins were identified, including 55 up-regulated proteins (>1.50-fold, P < 0.05) and 27 down-regulated proteins (<0.67-fold, P < 0.05) by iTRAQ labeling coupled with the 2D LC MS/MS technique in the RIF group. String analysis found interactions between these proteins which assembled in two bunches: ribosomal proteins and blood homeostasis proteins. The most significant enriched Gene Ontology terms were negative regulation of hydrolase activity, blood microparticle, and enzyme inhibitor activity. Our results emphasized the corticosteroid-binding globulin and fetuin-A as the specific proteins of endometrial receptivity by Western-blot. Our study provided experimental data to establish the objective indicator of endometrial receptivity, and also provided new insight into the pathogenesis of RIF.

Expression of estrogen and progesterone receptors and their mRNAs in ovarian endometriosis

To discover the molecular mechanisms of estrogen-induced growth in ovarian endometriosis, the expression of estrogen and progesterone receptors and their mRNAs was investigated. The expression of estrogen and progesterone receptors and their mRNAs was significantly (p < 0.01) lower in endometriotic endometria than in normal endometria. The ratio of estrogen receptors: progesterone receptors was significantly (p < 0.01) higher in the endometriotic tissues than in normal proliferative- and secretory-phase endometria, as was the ratio of their respective mRNAs. These findings suggest that the absolute and relatively reduced number of estrogen receptors in ovarian endometriosis might cause the loss of control of estrogenic action, and that, furthermore, the relatively increased number of progesterone receptors might lead to an estrogen-dominant milieu, assisting in the development and growth of the ovarian endometriosis.