Antiphospholipid antibodies inhibit prostaglandin release by decidual cells of early pregnancy: possible involvement of extracellular secretory phospholipase A(2)
E. Pierro et al., Antiphospholipid antibodies inhibit prostaglandin release by decidual cells of early pregnancy: possible involvement of extracellular secretory phospholipase A(2), FERT STERIL, 71(2), 1999, pp. 342-346
Objective: To investigate the effect of antiphospholipid antibodies on eico
sanoid production by human decidual cells and the in vitro interaction betw
een antiphospholipid antibodies and secretory phospholipase A(2).
Design: Cultures of human decidual cells from early pregnancy.
Setting: All decidual specimens were obtained from the Obstetrics and Gynec
ology Department of the Catholic University, Rome, Italy.
Patient(s): Patients were undergoing operative laparoscopy for extrauterine
pregnancy, with a period of amenorrhea ranging from 6 to 9 weeks.
Intervention(s): Decidual samples were collected at laparoscopy by routine
uterine curettage.
Main Outcome Measure(s): Decidual cells were incubated with antiphospholipi
d antibodies, and eicosanoids (prostaglandin [PG] E-2, PGF(2 alpha), and th
romboxane B-2) were assayed by RIA after 24 hours of culture. In vitro inte
ractions between antiphospholipid antibodies and secretory phospholipase A(
2) were investigated with use of a modified ELISA for phospholipase A(2). R
esult(s): Antiphospholipid antibodies reduced eicosanoid release from decid
ual cells in a dose-dependent fashion. In vitro assays showed that antiphos
pholipid antibodies bound secretory phospholipase A(2) and that a competiti
on occurred between antiphospholipid antibodies and secretory phospholipase
A(2) for the common substrate cardiolipin.
Conclusion(s): In light of the critical role played by eicosanoids in decid
ual function, we suggest that an interaction between antiphospholipid antib
odies and secretory phospholipase A(2) occurring in vivo might impair impor
tant cellular communications at the decidual level in the antiphospholipid
antibody syndrome. (Fertil Steril(R) 1999;71:342-6. (C) 1999 by American So
ciety for Reproductive Medicine.)