[Expression of leukemia inhibitory factor in the decidua of normal early pregnancy, threatened abortion and inevitable abortion].

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the expression of leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) in the decidua of normal early pregnancy, threatened abortion and inevitable abortion.

METHOD

We examined LIF gene expression in the above-mentioned decidua by a quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) method, and also examined the serum pregesterone, human chorionic gonadotrapin (hCG) by radioimmunoassay in all cases.

RESULTS

(1) Serum levels of pregesterone and hCG are: (91.5 +/- 27.2) nmol/L, (69.9 +/- 14.9) kU/L in normal early pregnancy; (88.4 +/- 24.7) nmol/L, (57.6 +/- 11.2) kU/L in threatened abortion respectively. There was no difference in the levels of pregesterone and hCG between the two groups (P > 0.05). While serum pregesterone, hCG levels in inevitable group were (33.1 +/- 19.6) nmol/L, (10.3 +/- 3.2) kU/L respectively. Compared with normal early pregnancy and threatened abortion group, the levels of serum pregesterone and hCG reduced significantly (P < 0.05). (2) The expression of LIF in three groups: There was no statistically significant difference in the levels of LIF expression between the normal early pregnancy group (2.10 +/- 0.32) and threatened abortion (1.92 +/- 0.20) groups, while the levels of LIF expression in inevitable abortion group (0.7 +/- 0.06) was lower than those in normal early pregnancy group and threatened abortion group (P < 0.05, respectively).

CONCLUSION

The reduction of LIFmRNA expression in the decidua of early pregnancy may decrease the serum pregesterone and hCG levels and cause inevitable abortion.