Relationship of interferon regulator factor 5 and interferon-? with missed abortion

The aim of the present study was to reveal the association of missed abortion, a process integrated with the immune system, with interferon regulatory factor 5 (IRF5) and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), and to demonstrate the function of these molecules by examining their levels in decidual tissue. This prospective cohort study included 13 patients with no additional systemic disease, between 6 and 10 weeks of gestation with negative fetal heartbeat, and 11 patients between 6 and 10 weeks of gestation with positive heartbeat who presented for voluntary termination of pregnancy. In the fresh decidual tissue materials recovered after therapeutic curettage, IFN-gamma and IRF5 protein levels were determined by ELISA method and IFN-gamma and IRF5 gene expression levels by qPCR method. The mean IFN-gamma (86.5 vs. 27.3 pg/mg protein; P < 0.001) and IRF5 (2.0 vs. 1.5 ng/mg protein; P < 0.001) levels were significantly higher in pregnant women who had missed abortion compared to the voluntary abortion group. The increases in the mean IFN-gamma/GAPDH (3.5 vs. 1.5-fold increase; P < 0.001) and IRF5/GAPDH (3.9 vs. 1.4-fold increase; P < 0.001) gene expression levels were significantly higher in the tissues of pregnant women with missed abortion than in the voluntary abortion group. A threshold value of 45.2 pg/mg protein for IFN-gamma had a sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 100% in determination of missed abortion. The findings of present study revealed, to the best of our knowledge for the first time in the literature, that IFN-gamma and IRF5 may be associated with missed abortion, and that IFN-gamma and IRF5 protein levels and gene expression levels were significantly increased in the case of missed abortion. According to our findings, IFN-gamma and IRF5 play an important role in placental invasion and pregnancy and can be used as markers for endometrial implantation.

Automated summary

The present study reveals the association between IFN-gamma and IRF5 with missed abortion, showing that their protein levels and gene expression levels are significantly increased in cases of missed abortion. These findings suggest that IFN-gamma and IRF5 play an important role in placental invasion and pregnancy, and can be used as markers for endometrial implantation.