Endometrial expression of β3 integrin, calcitonin and plexin-B1 in the window of implantation in women with unexplained infertility.

BACKGROUND

Endometrial receptivity plays a key role in the establishment of successful implantation and its impairment may contribute to subfertility and limit the assisted reproduction techniques (ART) success.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of present study was to investigate endometrial receptivity in terms of β3 integrin, calcitonin and plexin-B1 expression in women with unexplained infertility.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We evaluated expression of β3 integrin, calcitonin and plexin-B1 through mRNA level measurement with real-time RT-PCR, in the endometrium of 16 infertile women with unexplained infertility and 10 fertile women. Endometrial biopsies were collected during a single menstrual cycle on postovulatory day LH+7 in each subject.

RESULTS

Significant differences regarding β3 integrin and calcitonin expression levels found between patients with unexplained infertility and the fertile women. Endometrial plexin-B1 expression levels showed no significant difference between fertile and infertile women. There were significant correlations between expression of β3 integrin with calcitonin and plexin-B1 in fertile and infertile women.

CONCLUSION

Reduced in endometrial expression of β3 integrin and calcitonin alone or together may contribute to unexplained infertility and these genes could account as the potential molecular markers of infertility.