EXPRESSION PROFILES OF GALECTIN-1 AND GALECTIN-3 IN THE ENDOMETRIUM OF UNEXPLAINED INFERTILITY PATIENTS

Liyuan Dong^1*

Department of reproductive medicine, Xingtai people's Hospital, Xingtai, Hebei 051800, China

Objective: To explore the genetic and protein expression of galectin-1 and galectin-3 in the endometrium of patients with unexplained infertility, aiming to provide theoretical evidence for clinical diagnosis of unexplained infertility. 

Methods: In Xingtai People’s Hospital, a total of 100 patients with the clinical diagnosis of unexplained infertility were enrolled into the observation group between February 2019 and September 2021. During the same period, 40 subjects who received the placement of intrauterine rings within 1 year after normal delivery and 60 patients with normal pregnancy history who underwent the surgical treatment for simple cyst of ovary or paroophoritic cyst were recruited into the control group. The mRNA and protein expression of galectin-1 and galectin-3 in specimens collected from subjects above were detected via the reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and immunohistochemistry staining. 

Results: Significant differences were identified in the expression of mRNA and protein of galectin-1 and galectin-3 between the normal endometrium and endometrium of patients with unexplained infertility; in normal endometrium, mRNA expression of galectin-1 and galectin-3 was significantly higher than that in the endometrium at the advanced stage of hyperplasia (P<0.05); in endometrium of patients with unexplained infertility, mRNA expression in the middle stage of secretion had no significant difference compared to that in the advanced stage (P>0.05). However, in the normal endometria or those of patients with unexplained infertility, mRNA expression of galectin-3 was much higher than that of galectin-1 (P<0.05). 

Conclusion: The mRNA of galectin-1 and galectin-3 may alter the embryo implantation by affecting the tolerance of endometrium.