Assessment of ITGB3 gene expression and hormonal status in infertile female undergoing an in vitro fertilization protocol

Abstract

Infertility is defined as the failure to achieve a clinical pregnancy after 12 months of regular unprotected sexual intercourse. Causes of Female Infertility, according to the Center of Disease Control (CDC, 2013), can be divided into three broad categories including defective ovulation, transport and implantation. Embryo implantation is a complex process involving multiple biological factors,one of these factors is a genetic factor. One of infertility solution is invitro fertilization program. Integrins are a family of transmembrane heterodimeric glycoproteins, their major roles are focused on differentiation, apoptosis, motility and facilitate cell-extracellular matrix adhesion. Integrin and its ligands are not only involved in physiological processes and pathological processes but also play an essential role in human implantation. According to the previous, this study aimed to study the role of ITGB3 expression in implantation of embryo. In the present study, whole blood was isolated from 120 women and distributed into three groups as follows: Group 1 included: 29 Infertile women who underwent successful IVF surgery; Group 2: 42 Infertile female who underwent failed IVF surgery; Group 3: 50 fertile women. The messenger RNA (mRNA) expression levels of ITGB3 in the peripheral blood were analyzed using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT‑PCR). The expression of ITGB3 mRNA in Groups 1, 2and 3 were 0.0013, 0.012, and 1.0 folds of the gene expression, respectively, Using GAPDH as Housekeeping Gene. In conclusion, according to our results, β3 integrin expression reduces in women with unexplained infertility. The low expression of β3 integrin in female with unexplained infertility supports the possible role of these molecules in the endometrial receptivity during implantation. Therefore, these genes could account as the potential molecular markers of infertility.