Problem: The role of HSP70 and both its constitutive (Hsc) and inducible (Hsp) forms in the pathogenesis of threatened spontaneous abortions was investigated.
Method of study: Immunohistology and/or immunofluorescence was used to analyze paraffin-embedded tissue sections, and reverse transcriptase-quantitative polymerase chain reaction and flow cytometry were used for analyses of decidual mononuclear cells (DMCs) and confocal microscopy for the detection of perforin, granulysin, and lysosome-associated membrane protein-1 (LAMP-1) in decidual lymphocytes (DLs).
Results: The percentage of single Hsp70(+) , Hsc70(+) , and IL-15(+) cells and mRNA levels of HSP70, CD91, and TLR4 were lower in the decidua basalis in cases of threatened miscarriages compared to that in cases of normal pregnancy. In a suspension of normal DMCs, IL-15 significantly decreased the HSP70 members and TLR4 in dendritic cells, T cells, and NK cells while increasing CD91 in NK cells alone.
Conclusion: Downregulation of Hsc70, Hsp70, and IL-15 expression at gene and/or protein levels might support the retention of fertilization products in cases of missed abortion and blighted ovum.
Keywords: granulysin; heat-shock protein 70; interleukin-15; pathological pregnancy; perforin.
© 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.