Role of cathepsin E in patients with recurrent miscarriage

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24592479
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Obstetrics and gynecology
• Research Institution: Nagoya City University
• Principal Investigator: OZAKI Yasuhiko 名古屋市立大学, 医学(系)研究科(研究院), 准教授 (50254280)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 不育症 / 習慣流産 / カテプシン / プロテアーゼ / マクロファージ

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We investigated the existence and contribution of cathepsin E (Cat E) in early pregnancy of patients with recurrent miscarriage. With informed consent, sera, cervical mucous, decidua and villi were surgically collected from patients with recurrent miscarriage. An activity of Cat E was detected in sera and cervical mucous. The Cat E activity in cervical mucous of patients with spontaneous miscarriages was lower than that of successful pregnancy. By immunohistochemistry, the staining of Cat E was detected in the cytoplasm of stromal and epithelial cells in decidua and villi. In decidua, the staining of Cat E was observed in CD14 positive cells and CD68 positive cells. Western blot analysis showed Cat E expression in decidual macrophages. By addition of LPS and IFN-γ, Cat E expression in cell lysate of decidual macrophages was decreased.
The results suggested that activity of Cat E produced by decidual macrophages plays an important role in the mechanism of early pregnancy.

Free Research Field

医歯薬学