Semi-quantitative analysis of endometrial receptivity marker mRNA expression in the mid-secretory endometrium of patients with uterine fibromas

Abstract

In fertile women, expression of molecular marker of endometrial receptivity, HOXA11, leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) and basic transcriptional element binding protein 1 (BTEB1), rises during the luteal phase with the peak occurring during the implantation window. We evaluated the transcript levels of HOXA-11, LIF and BTEB1 in the mid-secretory endometrium of infertile patients with uterine fibroid infertility (n = 8) and from normal fertile women (n = 8). Expression levels of HOXA11, LIF and BTEB1 mRNA were measured in endometrium during the mid-secretory phase using semi-quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Endometrial HOXA11, LIF and BTEB1 mRNA expression levels (normalized to ß-actin expression) were significantly decreased in endometrium of infertile patients with uterine fibroid as compared with healthy fertile controls at the time of implantation (P<0.05). The results suggest that the alteration in expression pattern of some genes could account for some aspects of infertility in patients with uterine fibroma.

Key words: Myoma, fibromas, implantation, HOXA11, leukemia inhibitory factor, basic transcriptional element binding protein 1.