The role of selectins in the first trimesterpregnancy loss

Defects in selectin adhesion system generates some unexplained causes to miscarriage and infertility. Implantation is a quite complicated chain of consecutive incidents. Nowadays it is well known that implantation of different type of adhesion molecules take place in different phases. In order to represent the role of selectin molecules in miscarriages, we built up two groups of 40 women who had ended their pregnancy by their will through abortion and/or whose pregnancy were aborted because of missed abortion. In this research, we have examined the expression of L, P, E-selectins in decidua and villus through immunohisto chemical method. The expression of L-selectin in villus is observed to be more in healthy pregnancies (+++/++), whereas it is observed to be more at the group of missed abortion in the decidua (++/+). While P-selectin in villus was expressed more at group of normal pregnancy (+/+-), it was expressed equally and weaker in decidua at both groups of women (+-/+-). Furthermore, E-selectin in villus is observed to be painted in higher level at the group of healthy pregnancy (++/+), however it is observed more often in decidua at the group of missed abortion (+/+-). In addition, in both areas, villus and decidua, levels of E- and L-selectin were parallel to each other. According to our findings, the fact that each of three selectins in villus are expressed stronger at the group of healthy pregnancy than the group of missed abortus can be interpreted as an argument supporting the thesis that selectins play an important role at implantation and selectins are an indication of a healthy placenta. We can relate the fact that L- and E-selectin are painted more obvious especially in decidua at the group of missed abortus to the activation of leukocyte and damage of endothelium occurring during the abortion of pregnancy. As a consequence, more research is needed in order to figure out the unknown causes and consequences of abortion of pregnancies and comprehend better how the adhesion molecules function at these incidents.