PLACENTAL PROTEIN-14 AND PREGNANCY-SPECIFIC BETA(1)-GLYCOPROTEIN IN WOMEN WITH SUPPRESSED, NORMAL AND STIMULATED FOLLICULAR MATURATION

Not only the ovarian steroids but a number of proteins have an effect on the endometrium and its capability to accept an implanting embryo a nd to establish a pregnancy. In this study we have selected the placen tal protein 14 (PP14) which is, in spite of its name, produced by the glandular epithelium of the endometrium. Pregnancy-specific beta(1)-gl ycoprotein (SP1) was also investigated. This marker is trophoblast-spe cific but it has been chosen since some patients repeatedly exhibit we ak but detectable serum SP1 when no embryo is present. There seems to be a negative correlation between the chance of obtaining a pregnancy and the occurrence of such abnormal serum SP1 signals; they could orig inate from the endometrium itself or from another maternal source infl uencing the endometrium indirectly. The full-cycle time course was det ermined for these two proteins as well as for estradiol and progestero ne. A total of 66 cycles were analyzed, of which 16 were from ovulatin g volunteers without any hormonal treatment (controls) and 13 were fro m women taking oral contraceptives. The remaining 37 cycles were from 32 patients undergoing conventional in vitro fertilization (IVF) treat ment. Eight pregnancies were achieved in this group driving the study period. We found that abnormal positive SP1 signals occurred predomina ntly in the unsuccessful IVF subgroup, but also in the control groups (with or without contraceptive pills), and this in a cycle-independent manner. PP14, on the other hand, exhibited cyclic patterns in the IVF and ovulating control cycles as did progesterone. However, in seven o ut of 13 cycles under oral contraception (and suppressed progesterone) , a midcycle vise in PP14 was observed. Moreover, midcycle PP14 levels were generally higher in this group when compared to the ovulating co ntrols as well as to the cycles under controlled ovarian stimulation f or IVF. This confirms that PP14 is influenced by progesterone but only in an indirect way or under the additional effect of other hormones. It is unlikely that SP1 plays this role since it tvas not correlated t o any of the of her proteins or steroids studied. Nevertheless, SP1 di d not occur randomly over the different groups.