Department of Histology, School of Medicine, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, Iran.
Department of Histology, School of Medicine, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, Iran; Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Center, Resistant Tuberculosis Institute, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, Iran.
J Reprod Immunol. 2020 Sep;141:103136. doi: 10.1016/j.jri.2020.103136. Epub 2020 May 21.
Ectopic pregnancy is one of the most important causes of maternal deaths and fallopian tubes are the location of 95% of ectopic pregnancies. Elafin is a natural antimicrobial molecule that plays an important role as an anti-inflammatory agent in mucosal surfaces and has been found in the female reproductive tract.
The aim of this study was to investigate elafin expression, in the fallopian tube mucosa of ectopic pregnancies compared to the normal tubes using immunohistochemistry (IHC) techniques and quantitative reverse transcription (qRT)-PCR.
In this case-control study, uterine tube samples were obtained from patients with an indication for surgical removal of the tubes. The case group (n = 20) consisted of patients who were undergoing salpingectomy due to an ectopic pregnancy, the control group (n = 20) included patients who had a salpingectomy and hysterectomy. Using qRT-PCR and IHC, the expression of elafin was investigated in both study groups.
Immunohistochemical expression of elafin in the epithelium and connective tissue was significantly increased in the implantation site of the patients in comparison with the control group (P < 0.001). The level of elafin mRNA increased in the mucous membrane of the fallopian tube from patients with the ectopic pregnancy compared to the normal mucosa (P < 0.001).
Increasing expression of elafin during an ectopic pregnancy may be a mechanism for enhancing innate immune response and be involved in related pathological conditions such as infection and ectopic implantation.
宫外孕是导致产妇死亡的主要原因之一，而输卵管是 95%宫外孕的发生部位。Elafin 是一种天然的抗菌分子，在黏膜表面作为抗炎剂发挥着重要作用，并且在女性生殖道中被发现。
本研究旨在通过免疫组织化学（IHC）技术和定量逆转录（qRT）-PCR 检测 Elafin 在宫外孕输卵管黏膜中的表达，与正常输卵管进行比较。
在这项病例对照研究中，从因手术切除输卵管而有指征的患者中获取子宫管样本。病例组（n = 20）包括因宫外孕而行输卵管切除术的患者，对照组（n = 20）包括因输卵管和子宫切除术而行手术的患者。使用 qRT-PCR 和 IHC 检测两组患者中 Elafin 的表达。
与对照组相比，患者着床部位的 Elafin 在上皮细胞和结缔组织中的免疫组织化学表达显著增加（P < 0.001）。与正常黏膜相比，宫外孕患者输卵管黏膜中的 Elafin mRNA 水平增加（P < 0.001）。
宫外孕期间 Elafin 的表达增加可能是增强先天免疫反应的一种机制，并可能与感染和异位着床等相关病理状况有关。
