Glycoprotein and carbohydrate binding protein expression in the placenta in early pregnancy loss

Jeschke, U.; Toth, B.; Scholz, C.; Friese, K.; Makrigiannakis, A.

doi:10.1016/j.jri.2009.10.012

« Previous Next »Journal of Reproductive Immunology
Volume 85, Issue 1 , Pages 99-105, May 2010

Glycoprotein and carbohydrate binding protein expression in the placenta in early pregnancy loss

U. Jeschke
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Maistrasse, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, 80377 Munich, Germany
- Tel.: +49 89 5160 4266; fax: +49 89 5160 4916.
- Corresponding author. Tel.: +49 89 5160 4266; fax: +49 89 5160 4916.
B. Toth
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Großhadern, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, 81377 Munich, Germany
- Tel.: +49 89 7095 0; fax: +49 89 7095 6840.
C. Scholz
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Maistrasse, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, 80377 Munich, Germany
- Tel.: +49 89 5160 4266; fax: +49 89 5160 4916.
K. Friese
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Maistrasse, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, 80377 Munich, Germany
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Großhadern, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, 81377 Munich, Germany
- Tel.: +49 89 5160 4266; fax: +49 89 5160 4916.
- Tel.: +49 89 7095 0; fax: +49 89 7095 6840.
A. Makrigiannakis
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Medical School, University of Crete, Heraklion 71003, Greece
- Tel.: +30 2810392131; fax: +30 2810392131.

Received 21 July 2009; received in revised form 28 September 2009; accepted 1 October 2009. published online 02 March 2010.

Abstract

Glycoproteins expressed at the fetal–maternal interface have been shown to exert immunomodulating effects. Glycodelin, hCG and transferrin have been used in in vitro experiments as ligands to block E-selectin-mediated cell adhesion. We found that glycodelin is a strong inhibitor of the E-selectin-mediated cell adhesion with a 10³-fold increase in potency compared to the monovalent tetrasaccharide sialyl Lewis X. HCG with distinct carbohydrate expression is also an effective selectin antagonist, whereas the potency of transferrin is low. This could indicate a possible role of glycodelin, hCG and transferrin in preventing leukocyte adhesion to the fetal trophoblast. In decidual tissue of abortion patients, glycodelin expression was significantly reduced compared to normal gestation. These results were confirmed by in situ hybridization. Moreover, glycodelin expression in endometrial cells in vitro could be stimulated by addition of hCG. Because hCG is down-regulated in women with abortion, we speculate that hCG could be one of the factors regulating glycodelin expression. Galectins are structurally related proteins with the ability to bind β-galactosides through a conserved carbohydrate recognition domain. Galectin-1 (gal-1) expression in the syncytiotrophoblast is down-regulated in early pregnancy loss. Gal-1 recognizes the Thomsen–Friedenreich disaccharide (Galβ1-3GalNAc-) on the syncytiotrophoblast and extravillous trophoblast. Gal-1 also inhibited trophoblast cell proliferation but did not induce apoptosis in BeWo cells. Ligation of Gal-1 on trophoblast cells may have regulatory effects on trophoblast cell differentiation. Decreased expression of Gal-1 may partly explain disturbed trophoblast differentiation during early placentation leading to early pregnancy loss.

Keywords: hCG, Glycodelin, Transferrin, Galectin, Thomsen–Friedenreich